Into The Shadows
by SHERlockedBridget
Summary: Claire Reynolds wakes up from a coma with some unsettling news; she's been dead for over a year. Killed in a car crash that took the lives of both her parents, Claire joins SHIELD as the newest member of the Avengers Initiative. The problem is, Loki is back, and prepared to wreak havoc once again. Rated M for language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

What was that sound? That constant beeping, light and ringing. Light was filtering through my closed eyelids, and I lay there, listening to the sound of my shallow, quiet breathing.

_What is that sound? _I thought, my breathing coming easier now. Slowly, I began to open my eyes to the pristine white world. I stared up at the ceiling. Overhead lights greeted me, glaring into my eyes and making me wince, throwing up a hand to shield my eyes.

_Ow._

I turned my head to look at my wrist, and saw something sticking out of it. A ling, thin tube, that ran from my arm and down to a machine on my right. The machine was making the annoying beeping noise.

I felt sick. My mouth was dry and my head was spinning. How did I get here? Why was that noise _still_ going on? Ugh.

With an agonizingly slow pace, I lifted my left hand and pulled the drip from my wrist, wincing in pain as the needle came out of my skin. Surprisingly, no blood escaped from the wound, instead the flesh around it turned a little pink and stung.

I pushed myself into a sitting position and observed my surroundings more closely. The room around me was small, and looked more like a lab than a hospital room. The bed I was on, however, resembled a hospital cot. Somewhere int he back of my mind, I had a memory of being in a Hospital cot before, but getting a grip on the memory was like trying to cup water in my hands.

I swung my legs out of bed, and gently let my feet fall on to the cold tiles. The sudden chill made me inhale sharply, and I froze for a few seconds, before moving to stand.

The world around me span and blurred into one white mass, and I swayed on the spot before regaining my balance. I took a few stumbled baby steps forwards, my feet shuffling along the floor. As I became accustomed to my own movements, I began to walk more normally, taking deep breaths to help steady myself. I managed to make the ten feet to the counter top all by myself, but when I got there, I collapsed across it, my breathing shallow, my head resting on it.

I closed my eyes and continued to take deep breaths, listening to the sound as I felt my heart beat the Salsa in my chest. After a few moments I opened my eyes again, coming up against a folder. My fingers curled around the pages and I lifted my head, staring down at it. An emblem that looked like an eagle, with the work SHIELD printed below it in big letters, and the word CLASSIFIED stamped across it in bold red letters.

"SHIELD." I whispered , testing my voice. It was croaky, rough and grating, but it was there.

I opened the folder, to a page with what looked like vital statistics. Name, age, date of birth, height, weight, hair and eye color, and...

"Date of death?" I said out loud, feeling my voice shake slightly.


	2. Chapter 2

I was so engrossed at looking through these that I didn't hear the door slide open behind me, nor did I hear the hushed whispers. I did, however, manage to pick up the feeling that someone was watching me - the hairs on the back of my neck rose to attention. I span around, much faster than I probably should have, and felt my world spin once more. I leaned back on the counter heavily, swallowing hard and blinking. When I opened my eyes again, the world had returned to normal, and across the lab/hospital room from me, I could see three guys, standing staring at me.

I stared back, willing my heart to calm it's Salsa.

"Claire?" The man in front asked tentatively, tilting his head to the side slightly, and taking a step towards me. I pressed my back further into the bench.

"Who's Claire?"

The man dropped his head, sighing. He turned back to other two. "I told you she wouldn't remember." he protested, holding out his hands in an admission of defeat. The shorter man scratched his beard and stepped past, moving towards me. Instinctively, I shrank back against the bench, trying to make myself as small a target as possible. The guy froze, seeing me, holding out his hands, palms turned towards me.

"Hey, Claire? Kiddo?"

I eyed him nervously, my eyes darting from him, to the first guy, and then to the blonde guy standing sheepishly at the back, avoiding my eye. my eyes flickered back to the guy with the beard, who was creeping towards me.

"Who's Claire? Is that me?" I asked, gulping.

"That folder you were looking at? The file? That's you. You're Claire." the guy with the beard was getting pretty close to me now. I narrowed my eyes and he stopped moving again.

"How did I get here? Who _are_ you people?"

"Claire, it's going to be a long day, you've only just woken up, and I think it's important that you get some rest before we overload you-" the guy in the glasses said quietly, before being interrupted by the man with the beard.

"I think the girl can handle learning a couple of names, right? After all, she deserves to know what she's doing here." he shot me a smile, which I didn't return. My eyes kept flickering to the tall guy at the back, who was staring at a spot just in front of me.

"I don't-"

"Of course she can." The guy with the beard placed a hand on his chest. "My name's Tony. This is Bruce-" he waved a hand to the guy in the glasses, who shot me a brief but warm smile, "And this is Steve." he pointed to the blonde guy at the back, who finally looked up.

Wow. Okay, he was attractive. Electric blue eyes and perfect blonde hair. He was tall and lean too, with a perfect posture.

I dragged my eyes away from him and back to Tony.

"Okay," I heard Bruce murmur. "She knows our names, can we get her back to sleep now? Tony, look at her, she's shaking."

Tony and I both looked down to my hands, which were gripping the bench so tightly that my knuckles stood out vibrantly.

"Claire?" I looked back up at Bruce, who was slowly walking towards me. "I promise you I'll explain this to you, but for now you need to get some rest. You must be tired."

I met his brown eyes, and saw something beautiful. I saw trust. An undeniable connection. He was willing me, pleading with me with those puppy dog eyes. Slowly, I felt my eyelids grow heavy and itchy. My mouth stretched into a yawn.

"That's it Claire, you're tired, aren't you?" Bruce said softly, taking a grip of my arm and leading me back across the cold tiles to my bed, where he and Tony eased me onto the mattress, pulling the covers up to my shoulders. Steve hovered behind them, his piercing eyes remaining the only clear thing to me as the world swirled and merged into a few basic hues. Then everything went black, and the blue of Steve's eyes faded into the darkness.

* * *

When I woke up, my lab room was dark. The lights were all off, but outside past the patterned glass that distorted everything I could see lights, and hear people talking. I eased my way out of bed and padded across the lab to the door, pushing it open a crack to the dimly lit hallway. Across the hall another door was ajar, and light was flooding out. It was from there that the voices were coming.

I slipped into the hallway and crouched beside the door.

"So what was she like?" That was clearly a woman's voice.

"Confused." Bruce?

"She didn't really say anything. She just asked where she was, and who we were." That was Tony's voice.

"And she asked who Claire was." The voice was unfamiliar, but I had a feeling it was Steve's.

"Wait, you mean she didn't know who _she_ was?" Another unfamiliar male voice.

"Yeah, she just kind of-" Steve broke off as the door moved slightly. I'd been standing to close to it, and pushed it slightly. I hung back in the hallway, cursing myself silently, while the room remained quiet.

"You can come in if you want, Claire." Bruce said softly after a few moments. I sighed, and pushed the door open completely with one hand, stepping into the room to come face to face with Steve, Tony, Bruce, and two other people I'd never met before.

"Um... Hi..." I murmured, my voice a lot smaller than I'd hoped it would be.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony smiled widely at me. "Hey, you're up!"

"Apparently so." I murmured, looking around at them all. Steve met my gaze briefly before dropping his eyes to the table in front of him. Bruce stood up and made his way over to me, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"How do you feel?"

"Better." I admitted, finally lifting the corners of my mouth into a tiny smile, which he returned, offering me his seat.

"Claire, these are two other members of our team you haven't met yet." He said, motioning to the two people beside me.

"Natasha." The red-head female who shot me an encouraging smile.

"Clint." He reached out a hand for me to shake. Wearily, I accepted it, and had my hand pumped up and down vigorously for a few moments before I managed to detach myself.

"It's nice to meet you both."

"So, Claire." Bruce said, drawing my attention back to him. "You feel dizzy or sick?"

I shook my head.

"Any numbness? Shortness of breath?"

Another head shake.

"Feel weird at all?"

I shrugged, "I feel pretty OK."

"Can we tell her now?" Tony asked, shooting Bruce a grin. Bruce scrunched up his nose and looked at me for a few more moments before shrugging. "I can't see why not." He shot me a look, "If you're up for a story, that is."

I shrugged and nodded silently, feeling incredibly self conscious around this group of strangers who seemed to know more about me than I did.

Tony gave a long, luxurious stretch and smirked at me. "Now Claire, honey, do we have the fairy tale of a lifetime to tell you..."

* * *

Sunlight was filtering gently through my curtains, bathing an unfamiliar room in golden light. I looked around groggily.

"Ah, Claire." Bruce walked over, smiling brightly, "You're awake. Pardon the change of scenery, but I thought you'd prefer your own room instead of the lab."

I nodded gratefully and looked around. The room was a pale cream color. In fact, everything in it, right down to the clothes hanging in the open closet, was cream. I pulled a face, but thanked him. It was better than the lab.

"You fell asleep last night after Tony explained everything to you." Bruce told me with a twinkle in his eye. "Seriously, one minute you were nodding along, completely alert, and the next you were fast asleep. Steve had to carry you in here because you wouldn't wake up."

I felt a blush creep up my cheeks at the mention of the blue eyed beauty from last night. I wasn't quite sure how comfortable I was with someone that attractive carrying my unconscious body through an unfamiliar building.

"I heard my name?" Right on cue, Steve poked his head around the door frame and flashed me an instantaneous on-off smile, which took me aback.

"Steve. I was just telling Claire what happened last night." Bruce said, walking past and calling over his shoulder for me to meet him in the training room in an hour. This left me with Steve, alone, and an awkward silence fell over us for a few moments.

"You were pretty out of it." He told me, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So I've heard." I laughed and swung my legs out of bed, before glancing down and realizing how little I was wearing. Someone had taken off the pants and shoes I'd been wearing, leaving me in only a t-shirt and panties. When I looked back up to Steve he was avoiding my gaze, a dark blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Uh... Steve?" I asked, pulling the duvet around me. "Do you mind grabbing those pants from over there?"

"Uh... Yeah, sure..." Avoiding looking at me, Steve crossed the room and grabbed a pair of cream trousers from the closet, throwing them to me. A thought crossed my mind as I caught them.

"Wait... Did you...?"

The blush said it all.

"Tony said I had to make you more comfortable." He explained quietly, and I smiled gently. God, he was more embarrassed than I was.

"Well thank you," I said kindly. "I slept like a rock, so you obviously did something right."

He glanced up, looking almost surprised, and smiled broadly, before excusing himself and allowing me to get dressed.

* * *

"Tony!" I jogged to catch up to his back as I came out of my room. He turned to face me and nodded, taking in my outfit with a grimace.

"Claire, kiddo." he pulled a face, "We've got to get you out of those clothes."

I followed him through the SHIELD corridors, coming to a large, dark room with a tall ceiling. He flicked a few switches and the lights came on, bathing me in a white glow.

"Welcome to the Wardrobe." he swung his arms out, motioning to the room. "Pretty neat, huh?"

"Pretty neat." I agreed.

"So, find some clothes in your size, and report back to me to get you out of those over sized hospital gowns." Tony gave me a small shove further into the room. "Run along and enjoy yourself now kid."


	4. Chapter 4

I was lacing up a pair of converse when the lights began to flicker. I threw my head up and sighed, rolling my eyes. Just my luck. I was in the middle of a giant maze of clothes, and the llights were going out.

I finished lacing up my shoes and stood up, just in time for the lights to completely die, leaving me in total darkness. About ten minutes ago Tony had called out something about getting a coffee and meeting me back here in half an hour. I still had twenty minutes to wait for him.

No way was I sitting around in the dark for twenty minutes waiting for Mr. Playboy to get back. I looked left and right, but either way it looked the same. Blackness.

I sighed and began feeling my way around, shuffling through the maze of clothes until I bumped into something solid.

"Oops." I mumbled.

"My fault." The solid thing replied. I froze.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Claire?"

"Steve?"

He laughed, "Yes! Tony said you were getting changed in here."

_Great_. I thought. _Tony's probably been telling everyone to come on in and try and get a sneak peek of my ass while I've been getting changed._

"We should probably try and get out..." Steve said quietly, and there was a long pause. "You... Are dressed, right?"

"Yeah, I'm wearing clothes."

"Okay..." He gently took hold of my hand, leading the way through the darkness slowly. Every so often he'd stop abruptly and I'd walk straight into his back. Apologizing profusely, he'd then turn around and walk a different way. How big was this wardrobe anyway?

He stopped again, and, not realizing, I continued on, only to be tugged back. Damn, the guy was strong. I whirled straight back into him and he began apologizing again. Then, right on cue, the lights came back on, and I realized I was about three inches from Captain America's finely toned chest. I stared up at him as the lights came on around us, and he smiled gently, slowly easing his fingers from mine.

"At least we can see where we're going now." He said quietly. Did he just look at my lips? My own eyes flickered to his and I felt my heart begin to beat just a little bit faster. They were perfectly formed, and slightly open. Conveniently enough, they were also eye-height. I blushed and looked down at my Converse-clad feet, biting my lip. Seriously, Claire? Checking out the Super-Soldier? Probably not the greatest idea in the world.

"We should probably find Tony." he whispered, his lips so close to my ear that his breath tickled. I nodded and followed him as he led me out towards the door, which, as the lights had now come back on, took us only a few minutes. Tony was waiting for us, leaning against the door with a smirk on his lips.

"I found her." Steve said, not looking Tony in the eye and walking past him. Tony nodded and returned his knowing gaze to me. He winked, and I looked down at the floor again, my cheeks burning.

"Cap's hot, I'll give him that," Tony murmured, moving to stand next to me, "But he's also like, ninety years old."

I looked up at him in surprise, before it clicked in my head. Captain America, the front man for the American troops during the Second World War, was Steve Rodgers.

"Jesus..."

"Looks good for his age, doesn't he?"

"But how...?"

"Frozen in Ice. Perfectly preserved in every way." Tony winked at me, "And a few ways that only a lady who catches his eye would be able to discover."

"Stop it." I shoved his shoulder gently, and he grinned. "Come on, Bruce and I need to run some tests on you. We need to find out just how cool you are!"

* * *

"Ah, Tony, you brought her along." Bruce smiled at us, and picked up a notebook, rifeling through it. He paused for a minute, as if he was about to say something, before grinning, and, not looking at me, tossing the notebook into the air towards Tony.

"Think fast." Was all he said.

Tony flinched, taking a step away from the oncoming book, but, without hesitating, I snatched it from thin air by forefinger and thumb. Tony stared from the book to me in shock. Bruce just grinned happily.

"Fantastic!" He motioned for me to walk over to him and began to examine my eyes and ears. "Perfectly healthy, and amazing reflexes." He put a tongue depressor in my mouth and shone a torch down my throat. Behind us, the door opened, and Natasha looked in.

"Just came to say that a few more Agents are going down to get you some clothes. You can't go around wearing those jeans and that hoodie forever." She smiled warmly at me.

"Aaaank oooooh." I managed to choke back, giving her a thumbs up. She disappeared, leaving me alone with Tony and Bruce again.

"Vitals are all fine. Now, let me just take a bit of blood..." He produced a needle and I gave an involuntary wince. He stopped and smiled softly.

"It's okay. It won't hurt a bit, I promise." He took my arm and swabbed it, before giving me another reassuring smile. Tony came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, and I looked towards him, squeezing my eyes shut. Needles. Having something stuck inside me. Not appealing.

"Okay Claire." I felt a slight pressure on my arm, and then a sucking sensation somewhere inside me. "Not too bad was-"

"Bruce, can you smell burning?" Tony wrinkled his nose.

Behind me, Bruce sniffed and shrugged. "Thor's probably in the kitchen."

"No, seriously, that stinks."

"Well I'm sure it's- _oh my god_!" Bruce cried, ripping the needle from my arm and stepping back. I stared at him, and then down to my arm. I could see the point where the needle had gone in, and I could also see that it was smoking. The needle itself had melted into a useless gooey substance, and the vial containing my blood was starting to crack.

"Quick, put it in the trash before the glass breaks!" Tony cried, pointing to the large trashcan by the side of the room. Bruce ran and dropped it in, and I heard the glass smash as it hit the bottom of the can. Bruce rubbed the back of his neck.

"Someone's going to have to tell Fury we're going to need a new Trash Can."

Tony looked at me accusingly.


	5. Chapter 5

"Claire," Steve whispered, nuzzling my neck gently and kissing my earlobe, "You're beautiful."

I smiled and felt a blush creep up my cheeks, rolling over so I was snuggled against him. "You aren't so bad yourself, Captain."

He laughed, and I felt his bare chest move under mine. He pushed back a lock of my hair and kissed my forehead, his blue eyes crinkling up in the corners. "I mean it."

The blush darkened, and he leaned in, about to kiss me on the lips.

I jolted awake, breathing heavily. I was alone in my room, which now stank of paint as Clint and I had spent most of the previous night and that morning changing the walls to a dark red. I looked around, my eyes darting to the space beside me in bed. Nope, no Steve.

I fell back onto the bed sheets, my head in my hands. I'd been at SHIELD for three weeks now, and with every passing day I was finding it harder and harder to drool unattractively as Steve and I came into contact. Of course, nothing could beat the two of us groping around in the darkened Wardrobe for twenty minutes on my third day.

I lay in bed for a few more minutes, staring up at my ceiling and trying in vain to get the image of semi-naked Steve out of my head. Nope. The image was staying right where it was.

"You need a walk, Claire." I told myself, hauling my legs out of bed, and glancing down at myself. A crop top and panties. Probably not the best clothing for a midnight escapade, especially if Tony was wandering the halls.

I looked through my closet and tried to find the pajama bottoms that Natasha had promised me I'd been given, but all I could find were a pair of black shorts, which I begrudgingly pulled on.

"Better than nothing I suppose." I muttered, stepping out into the cool hallway.

No-one was around, and I felt a little more at ease about my_revealing_ attire. I padded down the hallway, pushing the door open to the kitchen and slipping inside. The kitchen itself was even cooler than the hallway, which was welcome seeing as the Summer was fast approaching and temperatures of 100 degrees weren't uncommon. I stepped a little further inside, feeling goosebumps rise along my arms, and felt along the wall for the light switch, connecting instead with someone's hand. I squeaked and jumped back as the lights came on.

_Terrific. Just fantastic._ The little voice in the back of my head muttered. Exactly what I needed. Steve.

Seriously, with the slightly mussed up hair that stuck up at the back, and the rumpled t-shirt that clung oh-so nicely to those fine biceps? That lopsided smile which was sure as hell laughing at me right now, and the bluer than blue eyes that were gently crinkled up at the corners.

_Just like in your dream_.

Trying to ignore the burning sensation in my cheeks that was becoming a regular occurrence, I managed to smile at him. "Hi."

"We should probably stop bumping into each other in the dark like this." He told me with a gentle laugh, before glancing down and realizing what I was wearing. Or, more precisely, what I _wasn't_ wearing. It was his turn to blush, and he averted his eyes as only a 1940's gentleman would do, mumbling something incoherently about getting a drink. I watched him move past me and over to the refrigerator, where he pulled out a bottle of juice and held it out for me. I accepted it, and gratefully took a swig, watching as he got his own bottle.

He leaned against the counter and drank silently, before opening the blinds and looking out over New York. I could see from his profile that something was wrong. His lower lips was stuck out slightly, and he rubbed the back of his neck, sighing.

"Steve?"

He ignored me. It was almost as if he hadn't heard me. I put my juice down on the island counter and walked over to stand beside him.

"It's changed so much..." he whispered, his voice catching.

I watched as he touched two fingers to the glass, gazing out across the skyline

How the hell do you comfort a Super-Soldier? More importantly, how the hell do you comfort a Super-Soldier who's ninety years old?

I opted for the gentle hand on shoulder, subconsciously massaging it with my fingertips. He looked down at it and then back up at me, blinking repeatedly. Oh Jesus Christ, he wasn't going to cry, was he?

Thankfully, he didn't, and I could relax, going back to rubbing his shoulder. I started to massage it a little bit harder, digging into the muscle with the palm of my hand. He arched his back and closed his eyes, and a flicker of a smile crossed his face.

"Nice?" I asked with a laugh, and he nodded enthusiastically, turning so that his back was to me. I took the hint and began to massage his shoulders with both hands.

A low moan escaped his lips and he slumped his shoulders. I felt the muscles relax underneath my hands, and he leaned heavily against the counter.

"Very nice." He mumbled, turning to face me and staring me straight in the eye. "In fact, a very good way of making me forget what I was thinking about."

"Well you were tense." I said quietly, feeling the blush creep up my cheeks.

"Not anymore." he picked up his juice and took a swig of it, before moving past me and to the door. "Thanks, and I'll see you in the morning."

I watched as the door closed behind him, and sank back against the counter, grinning like a crazy lady. I'd just given Captain America a massage. And he'd liked it. My time at SHIELD was looking to be a lot better than I'd first thought.

* * *

When I walked into the meeting room the next day, Tony was talking in a hushed whisper with Nick Fury. The two of them looked up in surprise when I entered.

"Agent Reynolds!" Fury snapped, "Meeting doesn't start until eleven. It's ten fifty."

I shrugged, "You're always mad at me for being late." I made my way over to them and peeked at the folder, which Tony snatched away.

Something flared up inside me. Why were they keeping a file from me? We _always_ shared files with each other, relevant to a mission or not. What the hell was Tony playing at?

"Oh, hey Pepper!" I waved to a spot behind Tony, and when he turned his head I snatched the file from him.

"Claire!"

"_Agent Reynolds_." Fury barked, but, ignoring them, I opened the file.

"Who's Anne Reynolds?" I asked, the name ringing a bell somewhere in the back of my mind, looking through her personal details. Mother's maiden name: Nickelson. That name was familiar. Where had I seen it before?

Siblings.

My eyes widened and my mouth dropped.

"Claire." Tony said softly behind me. I ignored him.

Siblings. Reynolds, Claire.

"Who the hell is this?" I hissed, whirling around to face Tony, who shrank back, shooting Fury a sideways glance that clearly said 'you tell her'.

"Agent Reynolds," Fury stood up and took a few steps towards me, "The woman in that file is your younger sister."

I stared at him.

"Stark, I thought you said you explained all this to her."

Tony frowned. "I thought we had."

There was a long silence while the three of us looked at each other, before Fury stormed out of the room, saying something about getting Bruce.

"Have a seat," Tony offered, giving me a weary look. I sat down, and he followed, sitting opposite me.

"Okay Claire. You remember-"

The door opened and Natasha, Clint and Steve walked in, laughing loudly. They stopped when the saw us.

"Where's Fury?" Clint asked, wandering over and taking the seat next to me.

"Gone to get Bruce." Tony grunted, "Her memory's gone."

"Oh." Natasha sat down next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. She stopped when she saw the file in my hands, and her face turned stony.

"You _showed_ her that file?!" she cried, glaring at Tony, who shrunk back from her.

"She stole it from me!" He cried defensively, and Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Claire, come on, I'll take you to Bruce and we'll get him to explain it." she said, shooting Tony another cold glance and leading me out of the room. I caught Steve's glance, and he opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak Natasha had whisked me out of the room and down the corridor to see Bruce.


	6. Chapter 6

Bruce leaned back in his chair. Natasha and Fury had left us alone a few minutes ago, and he was about to re-tell me everything, from how I came to be here.

"Claire Reynolds was a twenty-one year old Law Student, who was born in San Antonio and studied at Stanford University in California. About a year ago Claire was on holiday with her parents and younger sister in New York, when their car crashed by the Empire State building. Claire's parents were killed on impact and described as dead on the scene, but the two girls were taken to a nearby hospital. Claire's sister, Anna was shocky by well enough to go home after a few days, and she went back to California to live with her Aunt and Uncle."

"And Claire?" I asked, feeling my voice shake. "I mean... Me?"

"Claire's - _Your_ condition was incredibly unstable, and the doctors were surprised you even survived the trip to the hospital. You slipped into a coma by the time you got there, and you died early the next morning."

I felt my insides get cold. "Then how am I still here?"

He smiled. "Your IQ level is rated as being Profoundly Gifted - a rating of 180. Scientists just couldn't let that go to waste. For years before the accident doctors had been developing a serum, and a strategy to change a persons molecular and bio-physical structure, to make them a more impressive person. Stronger, faster, better reflexes, and more intelligent."

He smiled gently. "Getting all this?"

I nodded, and he continued.

"Now, This treatment had already been done on fifty patients, all with IQ's _far_ lower than yours. I think the highest was 150. The patient's brains all rejected the treatment. They rejected the electro-pulses designed to stimulate brain function. However, your brain picked it up. When it came to your mind, the treatment worked. Your gene pool was re-worked, and your molecular structure was very slightly altered to your body could cope with the changes. However, there are some... Side effects..."

"Like what?"

He sighed, " Acidic blood is one. Your blood can burn through most objects, as a defensive mechanism. Your skin is also puncture tolerant. Not completely bullet-proof or knife proof, but it's far thicker than normal skin, except for your jugular artery and the veins in the crook of your arm." he smiled faintly.

"Claire, you're a twenty-first century Steve Rogers. You aren't even supposed to be here, let alone with all these modifications. You're our little miracle."

"Fury said all this had already been explained to me. How come I don't remember?"

He shrugged, "It was just after you'd woken up. I told Tony that too much information would overload your brain. Your body couldn't cope with those facts, and pushed them out. But now..." He shrugged, "We'll just have to see if you can cope with it now."

"Thanks Bruce." I stood up and smiled, leaving the room and standing in the cool hallway for a few minutes before making my way back to my room.

* * *

I was almost back at my room when I walked past Steve's open door. I poked my head around the corner. Old 1940's music was playing from a stereo, and I could see papers scattered across a desk. It didn't look like Steve was home.

I took a few steps inside, glancing around and moving over to the desk. There were pictures of Publicity Stunts and Chorus Girls, and one picture of what looked like Steve. I peered closer and held it up to the light, frowning. The face was certainly Steve's, but the body was all wrong. This guy was skinny and short, seeming to be dwarfed by his surroundings. I felt my lips raise into a smile, remembering him telling me something about the Super Soldier Serum that turned him into the man he was now.

"See you found 1940's Steve then,"

I turned sharply at the sound of his quiet voice, and blushed. "I'm sorry - I shouldn't have come in without your-"

"It's fine." He laughed gently and brushed away my apology, moving closer and plucking the photo from my hands. He looked down at it for a few moments, seemingly lost in the memories he must have had.

"You were cute." I said, breaking the silence. He looked up at me, surprised.

"Excuse me?"

"Back then, Skinny Steve." I smiled warmly. "You were cute."

He laughed and shrugged, "You're just about the only person who's ever thought that, let alone say it."

I smiled, "Guess I'm just an odd sort of girl."

He looked at me, meeting my gaze with his icy blue one, and the corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. "I wouldn't call you odd. Out of the ordinary, yes."

"Ordinary's boring."

He shrugged and placed the photo back on the table. "I guess you're right."

I looked back at the table, and spotted another photo. "Pretty girl." I murmured, pointing.

Steve coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh... Yes."

I picked it up and looked at it. Curly dark hair, red lips and dark eyes that held just a hint of a smile. I could see Steve falling for her.

"_Peggy_." he murmured from behind me, and I looked up at him. He didn't seem to even know I was there. It was just him and the picture.

I sighed and handed it to him. He took it gratefully, murmured a soft 'thank you' without looking at me. I could see when I was interrupting something, and left.

* * *

"Peggy Carter." Fury mulled over the name, watching me from across his desk, before shrugging. "Sure, I can dig up some stuff on her for you. Why'd you need it?"

"Just research." I stood up and smiled at him. A gesture which he didn't return. "Well, thanks Fury."

I got to the door and opened it when he called my name.

"Is this for Cap?"

I looked back at him and shrugged, biting my lip.

"Because if it is, I think it's a mistake."

"I'm a big girl Fury, I can make my own mistakes."

"Yeah, but you might not be the one that gets hurt from this mistake."

I stared at him for a moment, frowning, before leaving the room and closing the door behind me.


	7. Chapter 7

"What are we doing here, Claire?" Steve asked as we stepped out of the Taxi. I paid the fare and smiled at him, shoving my hands deep into the pockets of my jeans sheepishly.

"You'll see."

I led him up the steps to a front door and knocked twice, waiting for an answer. It had been two weeks since I'd found out about Peggy, and asked Fury to get my some background research on her. My fact finding had led me here.

The door opened, and a girl who was a little older than me opened it. When she saw me and Steve she smiled broadly.

"Is that him?" she asked, and I nodded, ushering a very confused Steve inside. The girl motioned for us to follow her upstairs, and Steve turned to look at me.

"What are we-"

I cut him off with a shove between the shoulder blades, and he sighed, before following the girl upstairs and to the landing.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" she asked, seeing Steve's expression. I smiled and shook my head.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Is this her room?"

The girl nodded. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

We watched her go downstairs, and Steve turned back to look at me. "Claire, why did you bring me here?"

"I found an old friend of yours." I twisted the door handle and opened it to a small, sunlit bedroom, with an old woman sat bolt upright in bed, waiting expectantly. Her face broke into the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen on a person when Steve walked in.

"Steve!" she cried, her eyes widened.

"Peggy." he whispered, his voice catching. I stood behind him patiently, waiting for him to take another step into the room. When he didn't I gave him another shove. He stumbled further into the room, right up to her bed side, before falling into a crouch.

I hovered by the door my hands clasped behind my back. Peggy raised her eyes to meet my gaze, and she gave me a brief nod of thanks. I inclined my head silently, and stepped back towards the hallway.

"I'll leave you two alone. You've got a lot to catch up on."

Steve turned to look back at me, and I could see tears shining in his eyes.

Oh god, Claire. Don't you cry. This isn't _your_ sixty year reunion. Leave the two ex-lovers in some peace; that was the reason you brought Steve here anyway.

"Thank you, Claire." he murmured. I left before I saw the Super-Soldier start to cry. I was pretty sure neither one of us wanted that.

Just before I heard the door close behind me, however, I did manage to hear one thing that Peggy said.

"Steve, marry that girl."

I heard Steve's broken laugh, and smiled to myself, before letting the door close with a click. They had a lot to talk about.

* * *

I was sat at a Starbucks about twenty minutes from the Carter house when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Frequent this neighborhood?"

I turned to see Tony Stark standing there, his arms folded across his chest, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Fury told me what you and Steve were up to, and I'm guessing he wasn't the one who found her, after all this time?" Tony took a seat opposite me, and I grinned sheepishly.

"Trust me, he'd tried. But I guess he just doesn't know how to be _pushy_ like I do."

Tony laughed, shaking his head. "You know, for the kid who was starring at me like I was going to murder her six weeks ago, you're quite a shot."

I smiled softly. "I'll take that as a compliment, shall I Mr. Stark?"

"I think you should, Miss Reynolds." He looked past me into the street. "Looks like Super Soldier's done."

I followed his gaze out onto the street and across the road. Steve was walking in the direction of Starbucks. When he saw us, he held up a hand and waved.

"I'd better go, Capsicle threw me across the gym last night, and my guess is he doesn't want to kiss and make up just yet." Tony stood, and the corner of his mouth quirked into a smile. "At least, not with me." He gave me a knowing wink before turning around and leaving, exiting the Cafe only a few moments before Steve entered.

"So soon?" I asked, checking my watch. "You were only in there an hour and forty five minutes."

He smiled, "Peggy needed some rest. Her Grand-Daughter said I could come back any time I wanted though."

"That's great, Steve." I smiled warmly up at him, getting to my feet and putting my jacket back on. He was watching me closely, and I frowned.

"What, did I get whipped cream on my face?"

"No, it's not that. It's uh... Peggy told me to give you something."

"Really, what?"

He looked around us, at the Cafe. No-one seemed to be paying us any attention, but he seemed a little bothered.

"I'd prefer to give it to you back home." He rubbed the back of his neck, and I shrugged.

"Sure, whatever. Let's go."

He let me leave first, holding the door for me. Almost as soon as we'd stepped outside, however, it began to pour with rain.

"Seriously?!" I laughed, ducking, as if that would help. Steve took off his jacket and held it above both of our heads, but if I'm honest, it was covering more of me than it was him.

"Hey, hey taxi!" I yelled, running across the street and holding out my hand to the yellow taxicab. As I approached the taxi drove off, leaving Steve and I standing in the pouring rain. I'd ducked out from underneath the jacket, and, even though I'd only been exposed for a few seconds, I was soaked through. Steve began to chuckle, putting his jacket back on.

"What?"

"You look like a drowned rat." he told me with a grin. I pushed his shoulder and snorted.

"You're not lookin' so hot yourself, Capsicle."

He laughed, "You look even better when you're annoyed." he teased, before ducking out of the way of my arm.

"Oh, that's how you want to play?" I called, chasing after him as he ran off into the park, "Bring it on, Granddad!"

I heard his laughter as I went chasing after him, and in spite of how cold and wet I was, I felt a smile stretch across my features.

* * *

"You two look good." Tony snorted as we walked back inside. Steve blushed, but I took a deliberate step towards the billionaire, who was looking me up and down with a smirk on his lips.

"C'mon Tony, you don't want a hug?" I held out my arms for him, and he took a weary step back.

"No thanks, I'm good." he backed off. "Why don't you hug Cap instead?"

I watched him go with a smirk, before turning back to Steve, who was standing dripping in front of me.

"We should probably get dried off." I admitted, peeling off my jacket and beginning to walk. It wasn't until we were almost at out rooms that I realized that my white blouse had gone see though, and my bra was showing clearly through it.

"Oh my god, no wonder Tony was staring at me!" I cried, and Steve looked at me, confused, before seeing what I meant. The blush was back, and as we got to our rooms, he fumbled to open the door. I watched him for a few seconds, amused.

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"What did Peggy want you to give me?"

"Uh... Can I give it to you when I've had a shower?"

I smiled and shrugged, going to my own door. "Sure, but I'm getting straight out of the shower and coming to get it."

He smiled and walked inside, poking his dripping head back out. "Sure, whatever."

"I mean it, Rogers."

He laughed and closed the door.

* * *

I looked at myself in the steamy mirror and pulled my towel closer around my body. I'd toweled my hair so it was just damp, and dried myself off. Now it was time to get my present. My eyes crinkled at the corners as I thought of Steve's reaction to my nakedness, and I almost laughed.

Stepping out into the corridor, I checked so see that the coast was clear, before jogging across the corridor to Steve's door. I knocked twice and waited for an answer, and, hearing none, I pushed it open.

Now the door was open I could hear the sounds of running water, meaning Steve was still in the shower. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me.

"Steve?" I called, wandering around the room and stopping in the center. "I'm here!"

The running water stopped, and I heard Steve's voice. "Okay, wait a second."

I let my eyes wander around the room, looking at the decorations and smiling gently. I barely hear the door to the en suite open, but I heard Steve's voice loud and clear.

"So, Claire I-"

He froze, and I turned to look at him. The reaction had been exactly what I'd wanted - Shock, confusion, embarrassment, and yep, definite attraction. Oh ,poor Steve. He fumbled around and blushed, keeping a tighter hold on the towel around his waist.

"Something wrong, Steve?" I asked innocently.

"I uh..."

"Can I have it now?"

"Have-?"

"Peggy wanted you to give me something." I reminded him. He obviously didn't know where to look, and instead chose a patch of carpet about a foot away from me.

"Yes uh..." I waited for him patiently as he stumbled across to me. "Peggy told me there was something I should give you. Not from her... From, from me." He finally raised his eyes to look at me. We were about six inches from each other, and I could hear his breathing.

"And?"

"And I uh..." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, before launching himself forward and catching hold of my face with both hands, pulling my lips up to his. With his hands on my face, I didn't want to imagine what had happened to his towel.

His lips fumbled clumsily for mine, and when they connected our teeth clashed painfully. I winched and he tried to pull back, but I caught hold of his face and pulled him back down, leading the kiss far more softly. His arms wound around my waist, pulling me in closer, so our chests were touching. We both sank into the kiss, forgetting about anything and everything else.


	8. Chapter 8

Steve rolled over so he was on top of me, supporting his weight on his arms. He smiled down at me, still damp hair falling across his face. I'd obviously dozed off, because the last thing I remembered was kissing him, standing up. Oh god, I hadn't fallen asleep while kissing him, had I?

Steve shifted his weight, and looked at his bare chest, intrigued.

"Are you..." he cocked his head, "Wearing any pants?"

He blushed and shook his head, and I almost laughed.

"We didn't... Y'know."

Another head-shake.

"Okay... Uh..."

"I think you need to breath a little more often when doing that." he told me quietly. By 'that', I assumed he meant making out with the insanely hot ninety year old who was currently lying naked on top of me. "You kind of dropped."

I blushed, embarrassed, and realized I was no longer wearing my towel.

"Uh... Steve..."

"Yeah, about that." He rolled off me and to my right. He lay on his side and watched me with a bashful look in his eye. "When you fell, the towel sort of went with you." I tried to put it back on without looking at anything but-"

I didn't mean to laugh at him, but he looked so damned sorry for himself, and his cheeks were such a dark red color that he looked like he'd been slapped. he wasn't meeting my eye, and his voice had faded into almost nothing, and I couldn't help myself. I began to giggle, and when he looked up in surprise I began to laugh harder, until I was holding my head in my hands to try and stop the laughter.

"Hey, it's not that funny!" Steve protested, but I shook my head,

"I beg to differ, Captain." I giggled, wiping tears from my eyes and stifling another snort of laughter. The blush had faded to a light pink, and he was meeting my eyes now. Was that a hint of smile I saw?

"Steve..." I murmured, my voice coming out softer than I'd expected. He touched two fingers to my cheek, slipping them around to the nape of my neck and leaning in to kiss me. Soon enough, he'd rolled on top of me again, and I was completely lost in the kiss. Or, to be more accurate, the series of kisses.

* * *

"Agent Reynolds!" Fury barked, waking me from my daydream. I'd been doodling on my notebook, not paying any attention to the meeting, and I guess Fury had noticed.

"Uh... Sorry." I muttered with a sheepish grin, looking around the table to the other Avengers. Tony was grinning openly back at me, Bruce was carefully studying me, and Natasha and Clint were both uninterested, seemingly having a silent conversation of their own. Across the table from me, Steve's lips twitched.

"Is there some reason I haven't quite got your attention this morning?"

"No sir." I answered meekly.

"Good. Then sit up and pay attention."

"Quoting Sister Act there, sir?" I asked cheekily, and he gave me the iciest glare I have ever seen. I decided to back off.

"Anyway, Banner, Stark, what are your leads on that case I put you two on?"

"Uh... Not much..." Bruce said quietly. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Natasha was now looking at me closely, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Around the room, a few other agents were giving me the Eagle eye too.

"We know that the..." Tony paused, and I swear I saw his eyes flicker towards me, "Subject is now living in New York again, and we got her home address. Other than that, though... We don't know much."

Fury nodded and checked the time. "Alright. I have a meeting with Thor when he gets back, so you'd better clear out and do whatever it is that you people do when you're not saving the world."

I watched as Natasha, Bruce, Fury and Clint left, along with most of the other agents in the room, leaving me with Tony and Steve.

"So Tony, that Anna Reynold's file?" I asked deliberately, watching him coldly.

"Wait, you told her about the file?" Steve asked, surprised.

"For the last time, the girl jumped me." Tony snapped.

"I hardly jumped you." I scoffed, reaching across the table and picking up the folder, flicking through it. I could barely remember anything about this girl, and the few details I did know were so sketchy that it hurt my brain trying to recall them.

"Look, Claire," Tony began, but Steve cut him off. "I'd rather explain this, Tony."

Tony shrugged and sat back down, allowing Steve to begin.

"Your sister is going to be involved in something to do with Loki."

"Thor's crazy brother?"

"Yes. Claire, we think she may be a target, in her own home. We don't know when she is due to be targeted, but when Thor gets back he's going to talk to Fury, and we're going to get your sister out of there, hopefully trapping Loki too."

I mulled it over in silence for a few minutes. "Where's Fury meeting Thor?"

"Probably his office."

"Great." I threw the file down on the table and stood up, making my way to the door.

"What, Claire, that's not such a great idea."

"Claire, hold on." Steve grabbed my hand to stop me, pulling me towards him and away from the door.

"Steve, she's my family."

"You can't just walk into that meeting." he hissed.

"Oh really? You want to try and stop me?" I snapped back. He gritted his teeth and set his jaw, keeping a firm grip on my wrist.

We stared at each other for a few minutes like that in total silence, before I managed to mutter, "For a guy that's trying to get into my pants you're being a real Jack-Ass."

He looked hurt, and loosened his grip. Good. That was what I'd wanted.

"Claire, I-" He began, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. That night, after we'd come back from Peggy's, we' spent the entire night in bed together. Not doing anything, but in bed together. The next day had been spent just lounging around watching TV and talking, and then I'd fallen asleep in bed beside him, and today we'd woken up next to each other. Only two hours ago we'd been kissing and cuddling and laughing, and now we were glaring daggers at each other.

I stepped outside, past him into the corridor, and felt my anger melt away. It wasn't fair to take it out on him. I stood on tip toes and kissed him softly on the lips, whispering 'I'm sorry,' before turning and jogging down the corridor to find Fury.


	9. Chapter 9

I didn't bother knocking when I walked into Fury's office. I don't think I ever did, and this was something that regularly earned me a chewing out on respect and efficiency. I think out of all the Avengers, Tony ad I very vying for the spot of Fury's least favorite. Most of the time it was neck and neck, but at the present moment in time, I was pissing him off more than usual.

I walked in, letting the door slam behind me, waiting expectantly for the bark of "Agent Reynolds!" that I usually got, but, surprised, I got something else.

"Wondering how long it'd take you to turn up. Have a seat."

I did a double take and stared at Fury across his desk. Thor had risen from his seat when I'd arrived, and had his head bowed.

"I think you've met Thor before?" Fury asked. I nodded. We'd only met twice, but on both occasions he'd put Steve to shame with his chivalry.

"Dude, it's cool, you can sit down." I murmured as I took the chair next to him. Thor waited until I was comfortable before he lowered himself.

"Agent Reynolds, we were discussing your sister." Fury told me, leaning back in his chair and looking at me with his one good eye.

"Tony and Steve told me."

"We are planning to enter her house on the night of the 17th. Thor's told us that night is the time when Loki is most likely to come and attack your sister."

"What would he want with my sister anyway?" I asked Thor, who sighed.

"It is unclear what my brother wants with your sister. However, I believe he may make an attempt to take her to Asgard."

"Oh great." I muttered, feeling something heavy hit the pit of my stomach. It might have been my heart.

"Now, we've got a plan." Fury told me. I turned back to him, but I could still feel Thor's gaze on me.

"Okay, good."

"We're going to get to your sister's apartment at about 22:00 hours. Travelling there, though, may be a problem. We have reason to believe that Loki will have men looking out for us. We're going to get into her apartment building, pull her out of there and get out as fast as possible."

"Sounds like a plan. You good with this?" I glanced at Thor, who was still watching me curiously, his head tilted to the side, kind of like a puppy. A puppy dressed in curtains, holding a hammer.

Okay, maybe not a puppy.

"Problem?" I asked him. He leaned across to me and caught my jaw with one hand, tilting my head left and right, examining me.

"Uh, Fury?" I asked. Thor dropped two fingers to feel the pulse in my neck, confusion clearly on his features.

"Look, Thor," I began, "I don't know if this is a totally cool thing where you're from, but here this kind of thing is a third date deal."

"Quiet." he grunted, feeling the pulse in my wrist with his free hand. I stared at him indignantly for a few moments.

"Excuse you, but -"

"Agent Reynolds, shut up." Fury said, calmly. I closed my mouth.

"Midgardian." Thor murmured in a low voice, "Your blood... it is... Not ordinary."

"Well I feel flattered that you noticed, Thor." I tried to push his hand away from my neck, to no avail.

"Your blood is..." Thor paused for a moment, looking me in the eyes. "Your blood is of fire."

A silence hung over the room, and I glanced across at Fury, who was watching with mild interest.

"Is he talking about my acid blood?" I asked, and Fury shrugged.

"Probably."

"Well then, you're a little late to the party, dude." I told Thor, who was shaking his head, baking away.

"I must... I must leave. I will be back in the morning." He looked from me to Fury, and ducked into a low bow before disappearing, leaving the room feeling very empty.

"What in the name of Hell was that?" I asked.

* * *

"Taste this." I ordered, pushing a wooden spoon into Steve's face. He tentatively tasted the Spaghetti sauce and mumbled 'mm', swallowing.

"Good?" I asked. He nodded enthusiastically and grinned at me, moving to sit on the island counter. I pushed him off straight away.

"No way are you sitting on this counter while I'm cooking, Rogers." I told him, pushing the spoon back in his face. He laughed and dropped back to the floor, stepping behind me and winding his arms around my waist.

Although my skin was a lot thicker because of the genetic modifications something that hadn't changed was my ticklishness, and Steve knew it. I squirmed as he wrapped his arms around me, and I heard his gentle chuckle as he put his head on my shoulder, inhaling deeply.

"It smells great." He told me, hugging me tighter. "You're a very good cook."

"JARVIS," I called, snuggling into the hug and smiling, "Change the heat setting on the sauce down to 1, would you? I'm gonna let this stuff simmer for twenty minutes."

"Heat set to 1, timer set for twenty minutes." JARVIS' automated voice rang out. I grinned and put down the spoon, turning around to hug Steve. I wasn't quite sure what to call us. We hadn't really been out anywhere together, so we weren't exactly dating. We hadn't slept together, so Tony's nickname of Fuck-Buddies wasn't quite apt. We just hung out a lot, and kissed. I also spent more nights in his bed than my own.

Steve smeared away what was probably a drop of wine from my cheek. I had used some in the sauce and some of it must have splashed onto my face. His eyes raked my face for a few long moments, and he leaned in to kiss me.

"Hey kids!" Tony's voice came from the doorway, and we leaped apart., embarrassed. "I let you two live here with me because SHIELD ordered tenants out while re-decorating's going on, not because the beds are comfier." He winked at me.

Steve opened his mouth, confused, but I dug my elbow into his ribs and he closed it again. I didn't to engage Tony in conversation and keep him here any longer than he had to be.

"Pepper and I are going out for dinner. Save me some sauce, okay?" He said, retracting his head from the doorway ad leaving us in peace. Steve turned to me, still looking confused.

"What did Tony mean, by the beds being comfier?" he asked, and I couldn't help but laugh as I explained, taking his hand and leading him from the kitchen to the living room. By the time we'd reached the living room, he was looking pretty uncomfortable.

"Pick a film." I told him, taking my turn to wrap my arms around him from behind, leaning my head on his chest.

"Mm, can't I just stay here?"

"Well I'm hungry, so if you don't pick a film, I will." I told him with a laugh.

He gave an audible groan and arched his back as I hugged him a little tighter, and sighed.

"I don't know. I don't know many recent films." he admitted. "Perhaps we could watch - No, never mind."

"What?" I asked his shoulder blade.

He gave a gentle laugh. "Gone with the wind?"

I grinned. I could almost see his cheeks going red. "Sure thing." I said.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes Miss Reynolds."

"Could you get Gone With The Wind up and ready to play for us?"

"Yes Miss Reynolds. Also, you may like to note that you have five minutes left on your timer."

"We might as well get back to the kitchen," I told Steve, who slipped one arm around my waist as we walked.


	10. Chapter 10

"Midgardian!"

I turned, recognizing the booming voice instantly. Thor was practically bounding down the corridor towards me, a determined look set on his features.

"What's he want?" Tony asked quietly, and I shrugged. As soon as Thor reached me, he sank down on to one knee, his head bowed. I stared incredulously in turn at Steve, Tony and Clint, who all had the same bemused expression on their faces.

"Daughter of Rain," Thor began, and I rolled my eyes. The first time we'd met, Thor had confused my name as being Rainolds, and had somehow made the assumption that this meant I was the daughter of rain. No amount of protesting had changed his mind on the subject, and unfortunately I was stuck as being the daughter of rain.

"Yes Thor?"

"I present to you, the sword of Denearmul." Thor produced a thick sword from the folds of his cape, holding it out with both hands. I blinked silently and stared at Steve, who shrugged in reply.

"Uh, that's lovely Thor, thank you." I said, plucking the sword from his grasp. As I did, Thor flicked his head up, watching me closely.

"Is it heavy" he asked, and I shook my head, surprised at how light the sword was. The texture of it was similar to stone, and it had the same color. At the center of the hilt, just past the cross guard, was a blue stone, that, as I tilted the sword, caught the light and glimmered. The pommel was engraved with intricate designs that wound their way down to the grip. The sword blade itself was curved right to the end, and the tip seemed to be made of multiple pieces stuck on top of one another. As I gripped the sword more tightly in my hand, the blue stone in the hilt began to glow independent of the light.

I heard Thor take a deep breath in, and behind me, Tony whispered "Shit." I looked up at Thor, and had the instant feeling that this had something to do with his sudden interest with my 'fire blood.'

"This sword cannot be gripped by a Midgardian, only a person born of Asgard." Thor explained, "However, there is one Midgard who is said to be able to wield it. The daughter of the fire blood."

"Is he talking about your trippy acid blood?" Clint asked, and I nodded, keeping my eyes on Thor, who had sunk down into a bow.

"The powers of the sword are unknown to most, and are linked directly to the bearer." Thor told me, his voice muffled slightly by his hair, which was hanging down like a curtain. When he rose, it was with a look of determination.

"The sword now belongs to you, daughter of rain." He told me, and with another small bow, he turned and left, leaving me standing with the other four, holding a magical stone sword that was about as trippy as my blood.

* * *

When I woke up on the morning of the 17th, it was still dark outside. I instantly knew that something was wrong, before I'd even opened my eyes properly. My stomach felt like it had been tied into knots, and I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I rolled over, trying to get comfortable again, before realizing I was alone. There was a warm, Steve-shaped hollow in the bed next to me, but there was no blue eyed Super Soldier to cuddle up next to. Surprised, I sat up, eyeing the room. I'd woken up about a week before to no Steve, only to see him sitting in the arm chair dressed in a pair of boxer shorts with a pad on his lap. He hadn't let me see what he'd been drawing, and I still hadn't managed to steal it off him.

Today though, as far as I could tell in the darkness, there was no Steve in the arm chair. I was alone in my room.

"JARVIS?" I mumbled, running my hands through my hair and stifling a yawn, "Where's Steve at?"

"Captain Rogers left for the private gym about ten minutes ago, Miss Reynolds. He asked me to tell you that he'd only be gone for an hour."

I was tempted to go back to sleep, but the tug in the bottom of my stomach forced me to get up and pull some clothes on. I couldn't sleep with this sick feeling, let alone on my own.

"JARVIS, I'm gonna go to the Gym." I mumbled.

"Would you like me to inform Captain Rogers of your intentions, Miss Reynolds?"

"Nah, that's okay." I said, closing the door behind me as I stepped out into the corridor, setting off for the Gym.

* * *

I found Steve beating the crap out of a punching bag a few minutes later. Beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead, and he danced around the punching bag, occasionally jabbing at it before throwing his right fist as hard as he could into the leather. I watched the bag swing for a few moments before stepping further into the room.

"Can't sleep either?" I asked. He turned, surprised, and smiled softly.

"Not the first time. I come up here sometimes when you're asleep and throw a few punches."

"Or you sit and draw in that notepad." I teased, watching as he threw another couple of punches. He laughed and continued to box. I glanced around the room, and my eyes fell on a duffell bag. usually, I knew, this had his gym clothes in it. Today, though, I could see the corner of his sketchbook poking out of it. While he was distracted, I snuck across the room to try and get to it. I'd never seen one of his drawings, and the temptation was killing me.

Steve spotted me out of the corner of his eye, just as I reached the bag. "No you don't!" He cried, racing across the room just as I picked it up. I opened the first page, and just had time to see a pair of legs stretched on top of a table before something crashed into me, knocking me flat onto the crash mats.

I laughed, "Steve, c'mon."

"No way, Claire." Steve grinned and rolled me over so I was on my back, before straddling me and pinning me to the floor, holding my wrists together with one hand and plucking the book from my grasp with the other. He threw the book back towards his bag.

"You want to play rough?" I teased. He laughed and loosened his grip on my wrists, giving me the opportunity to push his shoulders and roll him over so I was on top. he stared up at me in shock for a few seconds. That was all the time I needed to dive for the bag.

Steve caught me around the waist with one arm and pulled me back onto him, pushing me down so I was underneath him, before starting to tickle my sides. I shrieked with laughter and tried to push him off, wriggling and squirming underneath him, my eyes screwed shut.

After about a minute, the tickling stopped, and I opened my eyes. His head was hanging a few inches from mine, and I could hear his breathing, coming out in short, sharp pants. He looked from my eyes to my lips, and kept his eyes there for a few moments before dipping his head and kissing me, slipping his tongue into my mouth.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me up into a sitting position with him, tangling his fingers into my hair, kissing me hungrily.


	11. Chapter 11

I gripped Denearmul tightly with one hand, the other balled into a fist. Beside me, Steve gave my hand a gentle squeeze and shot me a smile, which I returned shakily. We were sitting in the back of a Taxi, on our way to my sister's apartment.

Fury had decided that Taxi's would be the the most inconspicuous way of getting there, and he'd put me and Steve in a Taxi before pushing Thor and Natasha into the next one.

"You okay?" He asked, moving so his head was just a few inches from mine. I nodded, smiling at him, just as glass exploded above our heads.

Steve pulled me down on top of him, shielding my head with both his hands. The car swerved as the driver tried to keep control, and he skidded to a halt, jumping out of the Taxi and running out into he street, screaming.

"You okay?" Steve asked as I pushed myself up, opening the door and getting out. I nodded and looked out into the crowded street, breathing heavily.

I could see the taxi Thor and Natasha were in, about a hundred feet down the street. In front of them were men, possibly mercenaries, on motorcycles. They were carrying guns, so they were probably the ones who'd shot out the window on the Taxi.

"Claire, what are you doing?" Steve yelled as I ripped off my long overcoat, which Fury had given me to try and hide Denearmul. I had a gun holstered to my right hip, and Denearmul was strapped to my left. I raised my pistol and fired at the nearest mercenary, sending him flying off his bike and skidding across the tarmac.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the yellow Taxi Thor and Natasha were in skid to a halt, but, without missing a beat I sprinted across the street to the bike, lifting it back on to wheels, straddling it and kicking off. The engine roared to life, and I wound my way through the cars, keeping the two mercenaries ahead in my sights.

Something crackled to life in my ear.

"Claire, kiddo?"

"Hey Tony."

"Can't say this is the smartest thing you've ever done..."

"Just tell me when they're on my tail."

"Well you've got one behind you at about five o'clock, ten feet back, and about twenty feet behind him is another. Oh wait..."

"What?" I asked, checking my mirrors for mercenaries.

"That's not one of them. It's Steve."

I almost laughed. "He grabbed a bike too?"

"Hey, the guy can ride. He's got his own one."

"I know, I've seen him ride it."

"Agent Reynolds." I heard Fury bark over the earpiece. "Focus."

"Sure thing sir." I bullet whizzed past my head, and I felt the warmth of the air on my ear. Turning in my seat, I fired a bullet towards the mercenary. It hit him in the shoulder but he didn't fall off. Behind him, I could see Steve, who was gaining on him. A smirk twitched at my lips. That guy didn't know what was coming for him.

"Claire, you've got to make a right turning in about 100 meters. Try and get past those cars on beside you. Ride on the sidewalk if you have to."

"Are we getting to the apartment, or are we loosing the tail?" I asked, staying straight.

"Agent Reynolds." Fury warned, and I made the turn, riding the bike onto the sidewalk and off into the next street. I heard a burst of laughter over the earpiece.

"Is Steve still behind me?" I asked.

"Yeah, Claire, you should have seen what he just did to that guy!"

"You've got a visual?"

"Yeah, and let me tell you something - that man is a lethal weapon."

"Tony, I'm coming up to a T-section." I reminded him, and he quickly gave me a few directions. As he did, I heard another voice come over the earpiece.

"Are you okay, Claire?"

"Natasha?"

"Yeah, Thor and I are going to try and find a way over there to the apartment to meet with you two. Clint's already there with three agents, so your sister isn't alone."

"Thanks," I said, crying out as a bullet grazed my shoulder. I couldn't work out whether the bullet had come from behind me or above me.

"Claire?!" I heard about four voices cry.

"Guys, Jesus Christ, I'm fine." I made a left turn into a side street. "Tony, you still giving Steve directions?"

"He's linked to this line, we all are."

"Claire, I've got your back." I heard Steve's voice.

"How am I looking?"

"You're leaning to the right a little." He admitted.

"Yeah, well I _was_ just shot at." I replied with a grin. "Have they got snipers or have I pissed off the walls?"

"Snipers." Fury grunted.

"Okay, hold it for a second. Pull up at the end of this Side Street." Tony instructed.

"You _just_ told me there were snipers." I reminded him, pulling up to a stop and waiting until I heard Steve's engine.

"Yeah, but I think you two are going to have to ditch the bikes."

"Why?" Steve asked, glancing at me. He had a cut on his cheek with glowed a vibrant white against his skin.

"Bad terrain. Visual shows one helluva lot more snipers and armed personnel out there on the main street. You two are going to have to do a little footwork."

"Just tell us where to go."

I heard a small laugh. "Up."

Steve sighed and dismounted, killing the engine of his bike. I did the same, and the two of us stood in the side street, pressed against the wall, looking out for snipers.

"Okay, I've got it. You see the alley way straight ahead?"

"Yep."

"Okay, you're going to need to make a dash for that. When you get to the end you'll get to t a fork. Go left and carry on for about a hundred feet. You should come to an escape ladder on the side of the building. Climb up to the roof and tell me when you're done."

"You said dash?" Steve repeated.

"Yeah, there's a sniper positioned on the roof right above you two. And his gun is pointed at the alley."


	12. Chapter 12

I felt Steve's fingers curl around mine and I glanced up at him. There was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, and his hair was starting to flop over his blue eyes, which were currently staring straight at me. There were a hundred things I wanted to say to him, but not with everyone else listening on the line.

"Guys, you're gonna have to make a move." Tony's voice interrupted us. "There are four of those guys coming your way. I'm pretty sure they're getting the same visual I am."

"Steve's grip on my hand tightened, and I nodded to him. He pushed off from the wall, pulling me with him. A bullet exploded somewhere around my feet, but I kept running, trying to keep up with Steve's longer legs. Another two bullets went off, and we ducked into the alley, skidding around the corner to the left, breathing heavily.

"You're okay?" Steve asked, checking me as soon as we were both around the corner, pushing my hair back from my face to check me, "He didn't get you?"

"I'm fine, really." I caught his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "We should go."

He paused for a moment, but nodded, "Okay."

As Steve was taller than me by several inches, he reached up and pulled down the emergency ladder on the side of the building.

"Who goes first?" He asked.

"I'll go." I grabbed a rung above my head and began to pull myself up.

"You got a good view there, Steve?" Tony asked.

"Shut up." He growled, and I heard Tony chuckle.

"Okay," I grunted, hauling myself onto the rooftop and lying flat on my back. "I'm up."

"What about the Cap?"

Steve's head popped up the side of the building, and he crawled next to me. "He's up too."

"Okay, up here I don't have a great visual, so I'm just going to have to navigate you blind. How are you with rooftop hopping?"

Steve gave an audible groan, and I smiled softly.

"Cap seemed happy. Okay, Claire, do you see a large apartment building with a big ass sign on it?"

"Advertising some film? Yeah I see it."

"Okay, well the high rise to the right of that? That's your sister's building."

Steve glanced at me, and I gave him a shirt, re-assuring smile.

"Alright then, let's go, shall we?"

* * *

"Ahh, " Clint turned to us as we approached, a smile quirking at his lips. "Glad you two could join us for the party."

We were across the street from my sister's building. Agent's were posted all around the street, and I knew for a fact that there were a lot more in the IT van parked nearby. Clint had offered to personally oversee the watch on my Sister's building, which was sweet of him. He'd been up on watch since 3 o'clock this morning, and was looking no worse for wear.

"Would have missed it for the world," Steve shook his hand stiffly.

"Took you both long enough to get here though. Trouble from the locals?" Clint's eyes went to the scratch on Steve's face and the graze on my shoulder.

"Nothing we couldn't handle."

"Well you might want to get yourselves cleared up. There's coffee and clothes in the van." Clint motioned towards the IT van, which we clambered into.

Natasha smiled at me from over on a beanbag cushion, where she was snuggled with a cup of coffee. She was dressed, uncharacteristically, in jeans and a baggy t-shirt. We were obviously supposed to look like civilians.

"I picked up your coat." She told me, motioning to two piles of clothes near us. "Get dressed in the Starbucks. That's where Thor is right now."

Steve gathered up the two pies of clothing, and handed me one, before stepping back out of the van and into the street again. We turned around, straight into Thor.

"How do I look?" He asked, seeming pleased with himself. He was dressed in a button down white shirt and jeans, complete with a pair of converse All-stars. His long blonde hair had been tied back in a ponytail, and he reminded me of an art student. All he needed was a pair of John Lennon glasses and the look would be complete.

"Very dashing, Thor." I told him with a smile, before stepping into the Starbucks with Steve. We made our way to the back, and out into the corridor that led to the toilets. Once we were on our own, Steve caught my hand, pulling me close.

"Claire..." He whispered, and I stopped him, gently tapping his earpiece. His face fell, and his jaw tightened.

I stood on tiptoes, and with my free hand, tilted his chin down, and kissed him. He wound the fingers from his free hand into my hair, kissing me more deeply.

"Awh, look at how cute you two are." Tony's voice made us both jump apart, and I turned to find the security camera he was watching us with. I found it, and glared at it.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Carry on with what you were doing."

"You're insufferable." Steve growled, walking into the men's toilets. I glared at the camera one final time, before disappearing into the women's.

* * *

Steve was waiting for me when I walked out. I was dressed in dark jeans and a white tailored blouse. (An idea which I held Tony responsible for - my bra was black.) I was wearing the same biker boots, and had the long overcoat back on to cover Denearmul.

Steve was dressed in a plaid shirt, tan jeans and a brown leather jacket. He'd fixed his hair too, so he now looked less like he'd been chased through the streets of New York by armed mercenaries. He gave me a brief smile when I approached him, and motioned towards my blouse.

"Not your ideal pick, I'm guessing?" He said, a slight ting of pink on his cheeks. I bumped his shoulder and grinned as I walked past him and back to the van.

When we were all back inside, Natasha handed me a coffee, and we sat watching the surveillance footage, waiting for Loki to show up. The minutes seemed to go on for hours as I sat next to Steve, with his arm wrapped around my shoulder. After about an hour Clint traded places with another Agent and came inside to wait with us.

* * *

"What's that?" Clint asked, peering closer to the screen.

One of the agents zoomed in on it. "It's a guy walking up the stairs."

A couple of people in the van laughed, but Clint peered closer. "No no... That's Loki."

"Are you sure?" Thor got to his feet and wandered over, peering closer at the screen. There was a long silence while he inspected it.

"That is Loki." He confirmed after a moment, and we all began to get to our feet.

"Stark, you getting this?" Clint called through his earpiece, opening the door of the van.

"Yep. Uh.. You guys may have a problem."

"What now?" Natasha asked from behind me, slipping on a jacket.

"There are more of those mercenaries. They're everywhere."

We all exchanged glances of worry.

"Okay," Steve murmured, straightening up. "Claire, she's your sister, so it only seems fair that you go in there for her. Thor, that's your brother in there, so the same goes for you. The rest of us will hold off the mercenaries and join you when we're done."

Thor gave a quick bow and nodded, plucking his hammer from the van and nodding to me. "You are ready?"

I nodded, and then glanced at Steve, who was loading his gun, but watching me carefully.

"You people are going to want to sort out a plan and act on it, Loki's on the move." Tony warned us, and we all moved into action. Thor motioned for me to follow him around the side of the van, while the other agents ran out into the street. I watched Steve's back disappear into the fray and felt something tug at my heart. Thor looked down at me.

"You are alright, daughter of rain?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You and Captain Rogers, you are-"

"Thor," I interrupted him, "We can talk about this back home."

He nodded, "Yes, there are more important matters."

I grinned and unsheathed Denearmul. "Let's go then."


	13. Chapter 13

Thor and I ascended the stairwell silently, occasionally passing terrified apartment-owners, who were pressed against the walls, their eyes wide with fear.

"Thor," I murmured, after climbing to the fifth floor, "Your brother, Loki..."

"We shall talk when we arrive back home." He reminded me, holding his hammer a little higher.

I watched him take the first few steps to the next floor tentatively, his eyes darting around like a cat's. I followed him, a few steps behind, listening carefully for any sign of Loki.

"Daughter of-" Thor began, but he was cut off and a blue bolt of energy flew into him, knocking him over my head and back down the stairwell to the floor below. He crashed a crumpled heap, coughing.

"Thor!" I cried, making to run back down to him, but he waved me away.

"Find Loki!" He ordered, and I turned back, taking the steps two at a time, Denearmul at the ready in my hand.

* * *

I almost missed him. He was standing in the shadows of the poorly lit balcony between the sixth and seventh floors, waiting for me.

"Ah, you have decided to join me in the shadows." He said, his voice cutting through me like a knife through butter. I turned on the spot, feeling my heart rise in my throat.

"You must be Loki," I managed to croak.

He inclined his head as he stepped into the light, and I felt the breath catch in my throat. "I am."

"What the fuck do you want with my sister?" I snarled, gripping Denearmul more tightly, and holding it a little tighter. He raised his eyebrows, unperturbed by my language. His eyes drifted to my sword, and for a brief moment, they widened.

"Oh yeah, I guess you know what this means then?" I smirked, taking the smallest step forwards. He looked back up at me, his nostrils flaring.

"You are the girl with the blood of fire, am I correct?"

His voice was smooth and silky. It reminded me of wind chimes for some reason.

_Focus, Claire._

"You are here for your sister?"

"Damn right." I snapped.

"I have to say, you're just a few moments too late." Loki's eyes flashed, and a smile curled at his lips. "She really was fun to play with while she lasted though, she-"

I didn't let him finish. Somewhere along my right arm, I felt a warm glow, almost like electricity was shooting up and down it. Without realizing what I was doing, I swung Denearmul as hard as I could. Even though I was no where near Loki, a greeny-blue bolt of light shot through the air, knocking him backwards through the drywall, and into someone's apartment.

Without wasting a second, I ran up the stairs, taking them once again two at a time. My sister's apartment was on the next floor. Number 86.

"Anna?" I yelled, bursting through the door into an almost completely demolished room. There was broken furniture everywhere, and papers were coating everything.

"Anna?" I stepped further into the room, feeling my heart pound in my throat.

"Hello Claire." Something heavy slammed into the base of my skull. I felt a blinding white pain, and then everything went dark.

* * *

I struggled to remain conscious, trying to keep my head off the floor. Everything was swirling and blending into one around me. Somewhere to my right I could just make out the glowing hue of Denearmul's gemstone.

"Always were so stupidly brave," I heard a cold voice say from somewhere above me. A face came almost into focus. A pair of cat-like green eyes, a short dark bob, and a smudge of freckles. She lifted my head a little higher to inspect me more carefully.

"An-na?"

A snort of laughter, and my head was dropped back onto the floor. Her figure blurred as she stood back up, and another blurry outline appeared in the doorway.

"Did you hit her?" Was that Loki?

"And drugged her too. She won't be able to move for about three hours."

A small laugh. "Good, good. We should be leaving then. Say goodbye to your sister."

"Goodbye, Claire. I'll be seeing you." I watched as the blurry figures left my line of vision, and, still struggling to keep conscious, I closed my eyes ad let the darkness roll in.

The last thing I heard before I passed out though, was Loki's voice.

"Goodnight, girl of the Shadows."

* * *

When I woke up I could hear voices. People all around me were talking.

"She was definitely drugged, but I can't figure out what with... Thor, you had the same thing in your system, but you managed to shake it off far more quickly." Was that Bruce?

"I am of Asgard." Was the short reply.

"Yeah, well Claire isn't. So how long until she wakes up?" That worried tone was certainly Steve.

"It's hard to tell..." Bruce admitted. "Thor, any ideas?"

I tried to move my hands, let them know I was awake and could hear them, but, try as I might, my limbs just felt too heavy to shift. A large hand closed over my left one.

Slowly, I managed to open my eyes and move my mouth slightly.

"She's awake! Bruce, Bruce, she's awake!"

I managed to blink my eyes, and look around the room. I was in what looked like a private hospital room, but from the red and gold design, I could guess this was part of Stark Tower. Bruce was standing on my right, his glasses pushed up his nose. Thor, Hawkeye and Natasha were standing at the foot of my bed. Steve was sitting next to me, gripping my left hand, his hair pushed all over the god-damn place, and his eyes rimmed with red. Tony was standing behind him looking more somber than I'd ever seen him.

"How're you holding up kiddo?" He asked quietly.

I tried to form words. There were a million thoughts whizzing around my head at that moment. Running through the streets with Steve; Tony watching our kiss; the apartment building; Thor getting thrown down the stairs; me finally meeting Loki; and my sister drugging me.

"An-na." I managed to croak finally, and Tony looked away, sighing audibly.

"Yeah, I know." he murmured.


	14. Chapter 14

Bruce managed to clear everyone out, saying I needed some rest, but Steve and Tony stayed with me. After about five minutes, I could construct a few jumbled sentences.

"You... Heard?" I asked Tony, and he nodded.

"I had the audio on you the whole time Claire. I'm sorry."

"Anna and... Loki?" I managed to get out. He nodded, and looked across me to Steve, who squeezed my hand.

"Have...Find... Her..." I ordered, trying to sit up. Steve and Tony instantly pushed me back down onto my bed. I tried to struggle with them to no avail.

"Claire, you can't. That drug is still in your system." Steve soothed, but I pushed him away, mumbling something incoherent, even to me.

"My... Sister..."

"Claire, we're doing everything we can to find her," Tony tried to reassure me, but I shook my head, trying to push him away.

"_My_ sister." I snapped bluntly, my words slurring.

"Claire,"Steve soothed in my ear, wrapping both his arms around my waist and dragging me back into the bed, "We're looking for her, and as soon as you wake up you can do the same. Right now though, you can barely even sit up. You need to rest, okay?"

I don't really remember much after that. I'm pretty sure I drifted off to sleep in Steve's arms, still trying to struggle.

* * *

I was sitting in Tony's workstation, watching as he ran some tests on Denearmul. He glanced up at me and smiled gently.

"What?"

"Girl in the shadows."

I remembered the nickname Loki had given me. "Yeah?"

"Shadow. Got a ring to it."

I rolled my eyes.

"No, I'm serious Claire. You need a name. A superhero name. We've got Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and me, Iron Man. You're just Claire."

"I'm Agent Reynolds." I reminded him with a ghost of a smile.

He pulled a face. "Way too military for you. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be a problem with it, from what I can tell. You can take it back now."

I picked Denearmul up and sheathed it again. "Thanks, Tony."

"You do realize I've got to work on a costume for you now, right?"

I laughed and shook my head, not bothering to reply as I walked out, almost bumping into Pepper as I did.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking me up and down. I shrugged and told her that I was fine, and the two days of rest Bruce had ordered for me had worked. She said she was glad, and gave me a quick smile before walking into Tony's workstation.

* * *

I was looking through Tony's large selection of books when Steve came up behind me and rested his chin on the top of my head, wrapping his arms around me. "You seem tense."

I smiled in spite of myself. "Yeah, well I've had a pretty crappy couple of days. My sister just happens to be working with a psycho Demi-God, who tried to blow up half of New York last year."

Steve inhaled deeply, hugging me tighter. "Yeah, well I'm here, if that's any consolation."

I closed my eyes, leaning back against him. "It's a big consolation, Steve. You're amazing."

He chuckled and kissed my cheek. "How about I make dinner?"

"You?" I turned around and tilted my head, wrapping my arms around his neck. "No offence, Super Soldier, but you aren't the best cook."

He pouted, "I made toast last week."

"Correction. You put bread under the grill and turned it into soot."

"Okay, so I left it on a little longer than I should have." He shrugged, "No-one's perfect."

I smiled, "The offer is very sweet, but I think we should order a take-out."

"Chinese?" He asked, stepping away from me and over to the coffee table. We were in one of the may Living Rooms of the Stark Tower. One thing always remained the same, whichever one of them you were in; there were a handful of Take-Out menus on the coffee table, regardless.

He picked up a menu and examined it, holding it out for my approval.

"That's Sushi, Steve." I laughed, standing on tip-toes and kissing him on the cheek. "JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Reynolds?"

"Can you place our usual order at The Lucky Cat?"

"Yes Miss Reynolds. How will the bill be paid?"

I shrugged. "Put it on Tony's tab."

"Of course, Miss Reynolds."

I dropped down onto the sofa, exhaling and closing my eyes. I felt the sofa sink a little as Steve sat beside me, pulling me in for a hug.

"We'll find them," He promised, "And we'll cut whatever mind control Loki's using on her. She won't stay that way for ever."

I sank into the hug, feeling my nerves relax like I was drinking Chamomile Tea. "I hope so."

* * *

When I woke up the next morning sunlight was bursting through the open windows. I yawned and stretched, feeling the bed next to me for Steve. When I didn't find anything I looked over to the armchair in the corner.

Steve smiled at me, his sketchbook resting on his lap. "Morning."

"Every time I see you like that I get the impression you're drawing me." I told him, sitting up.

"No idea where you'd get that impression." He closed the book and stood up, allowing me a moment to admire his fine toned physique.

"Miss Reynolds, Captain Rogers?"

"Yes JARVIS?" I mumbled, catching the sweatpants that Steve threw me.

"Mr. Stark requests your presence in the kitchen. He says it is of utmost importance."

"You'd think he'd be old enough to know how to turn on the oven." I grunted, tugging on the sweats and throwing Steve a grin. "He's more inept than you."

Steve let out a low whistle, pulling a grey t-shirt over his torso.

"Miss Reynolds?"

"Yes, JARVIS?"

"Director Fury is also present in the kitchen. He requires your presence and Captain Rogers' immediately."

I frowned, standing up and pulling on a hoodie. "Must be important."

"Must be. Did he say what it was about, JARVIS?"

"That it was urgent, Captain Rogers."

I shrugged and opened the door. "Let's see what they want, shall we?"

Steve opened his mouth to reply, but I never got to hear what it was. Something crashed into the building, sending everything flying, including us. Windows exploded, spraying tiny shards of glass across the floor, and overhead, the fire alarm started.


	15. Chapter 15

"Steve!" I screamed over the whining of the fire alarm. "Steve?"

"Claire!" His head popped into view past the dust from falling debris. The wall to my left had caved in, and I could smell smoke.

"There's a fire!" I grabbed for his hand, and, feeling the strong fingers link with mine, I allowed him to drag me towards the stairwell.

"JARVIS, what's going on?" I yelled as we raced down the steps.

"A bomb exploded rather close to your location, Miss Reynolds." JARVIS' automated voice remained ever calm. "Mr. Stark and Director Fury still wish to see you."

I cast a glance at Steve, who shrugged. leading me down the steps with an arm around my waist. The further we descended, the less destruction was visible, until finally, we were on the ground floor. Steve instantly started checking me for any serious lasting damage, but I gently pushed his shoulder back, looking him in the eye.

"I'm fine," I assured him, stroking a thumb across a fresh cut on the side of his face, "But something got you."

"I fought Nazis; I've hard worse."

"I'm sure you have."

* * *

"Tony, what the Hell's going on?" Steve snapped as we entered the workstation. Everyone, including me, took a double take. I'd never even heard Steve come close to swearing.

"Easy Capsicle." Tony soothed, turning on his swivel chair. "You two are both okay?"

"Barely." Steve spat, his face thunderous. I stepped up behind him and gently caught hold of his forearm, rubbing my thumb across it gently. It didn't seem to calm him down, but it did attract Fury's attention. He looked down at Steve's arm, and then slowly up to my face. The look in his eye was clear. _See me later._

I turned my attention back to Tony, who was tapping away at his computer, no worse for wear after having a bomb blow up inside his house.

"Tony-?"

"It was Loki. Or your sister; hard to tell which. They planted the bomb on the floor your bedroom is on." He looked at the two of us grimly. "Judging by the size of it, and the amount of damage done, that bomb was intended for the two of you."

I took the few steps to Tony's computer with ease and examined the screen. He was right. JARVIS had given us the bomb's vital stats, and the size definitely wasn't enough to destroy the Stark Tower. I felt Steve brush my arm as he moved to stand behind me, reading the screen over my shoulder.

I tapped the screen, and it changed to bring me a visual of the outside of the building. I winced internally for Tony's sake.

"One thing's for sure," Everyone looked at me, and I grinned at Tony, "Your roof garden is _fucked_."

Tony laughed, but he was the only one. Fury glared at me, and I felt Steve stiffen behind me. At first I thought it was the profanity; he had a thing about me swearing, and usually picked me up on it at every opportunity. Today, it was something else.

"They planted that bomb for us?"

"Looks like it." I muttered, feeling cold inside as I brought the Bomb's stats back up. If that was true, it probably wasn't safe for Steve to be around me. If Loki and Anna were going to be trying to kill me, then Steve had to be kept away. I couldn't let him get hurt on account of me.

"Captain Rogers, go to the medical facility. Doctor Banner will give you an inspection." Fury ordered. Steve turned to look at him indignantly.

"What about Claire? She was standing much closer to the blast."

"Yet doesn't have a scratch on her."

Steve opened his mouth to protest, but Fury cut him off. "_Now_ Captain Rogers."

We watched Steve stalk off back up the stairs, and I glanced sheepishly at Fury. "I uh... I guess we should talk then."

"Yes, we should. Mr Stark, give us a minute."

Tony looked from Fury's stony face to mine, "Uh, actually sir, I was going to-"

Fury slowly turned his head to fix the coldest stare on Tony, who admirably backed away. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

"We won't." The door closed, and Fury turned back to me. "Are we going to have an issue with you and Cap?"

I shook my head. "Of course not. This has been a thing for like two months now, and we're fine."

Fury stood a little straighter. "What about the issue with your sister? You do realize he's going to have to keep his distance?"

I nodded, "I know. He's not going to like it."

"You want me to tell him?"

"You want a broken jaw?" He flashed a smile, and I relaxed slightly. "No, thank you for the offer, Fury, but I'd better tell him."

"You alright? No cracked ribs, blurry vision?"

"I was a bit dizzy, but I'm fine now." I assured him, starting to leave.

"You're sure?"

I laughed openly, "You're sounding like Steve." I teased, stepping outside.

* * *

"Claire!" Steve stood up as I walked into the Medical Facility. I smiled gently as he enveloped me in a hug, squeezing him back. I wasn't sure how many more of these I'd be getting in the foreseeable future, so I clung on for a little longer than usual.

"You're sure you're alright?" he whispered into my hair, and I nodded.

"Yeah, but you won't be in a minute." I looked past him, further into the room, where I could see Bruce waiting patiently for Steve to come back and finish his physical. "Mind if I borrow him for a minute?"

"Be my guest," Bruce smiled warmly, "Just have him back in one piece."

Steve looked at me, confusing clearly written on his face as I dragged him into the corridor.

"We're going to have to keep our distance for a while." I murmured, keeping my voice low in case someone walked past. Steve's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped a couple of inches.

"Claire..." He began, and I could hear his heart breaking.

_Oh my god_, I thought, cursing myself, _please don't do the puppy eyes, Steve. Please._

It was too late; Steve's blue eyes had widened to an almost impossible state. He stared at me dumbly, hurt and confused. I felt like I was kicking a puppy.

"Steve, it's for your own good," I promised, trying to keep the guilt from my voice. This wasn't going to be any fucking easier if I didn't have any conviction in my voice.

"Why?"

"If this is going to be a regular thing -" I gestured around the Stark Tower, "Then you aren't safe being around me."

His expression softened, and I felt my insides relax; he understood. He didn't hate me. Not completely, at least.

"Claire, I can make my own decisions." He smiled, touching a hand to my cheek, "If I'm around you, I can protect you."

I sighed, worrying my lower lip. He knew exactly how much I wanted to sink into his arms right there and then, and be completely safe.

_Pull yourself together, Claire_. I told myself sternly, and, feeling more and more guilty by the second, I pushed Steve's hand away.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to put as much of an emphasis into the words as possible to let him know that I actually meant it. "I think you should find your own room, for the time being."

His face contorted for a few moments, and his jaw tightened. He blinked a couple of times, and I saw several emotions go across his face that I never wanted to be the one to cause. Hurt, anger, confusion, betrayal.

He clenched his jaw, stood up a little straighter, and nodded stiffly. "Okay, Claire. If that's what you think will be best. I have to go back and finish my physical." He turned and walked back inside, closing the door with a horribly final 'click', leaving me very much alone in the corridor.

I was wrong.

He did hate me.

I was going to fucking _kill_ Loki.


	16. Chapter 16

Bruce put a sympathetic hand on my shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. "He'll come around."

I looked up from my bowl of cereal and glowered. "Oh yeah, how do you know that?"

He blinked and shifted uncomfortably, and I instantly had the guilty kicking-a-puppy feeling. I apologized.

He shrugged, "It's fine. I understand." He gave me a quick hug, which, although nice, wasn't quite the same as Steve's long drawn out snuggles.

Bruce and I were in Tony's kitchen, sitting on the stools of the breakfast bar. He'd found me in here eating breakfast alone, instead of eating with everyone else, and decided to join me. I hadn't been much fun recently. Every waking moment I either spent furiously digging into every resource to try and find Loki and Anna, or thinking about Steve, (and wondering if he was thinking about me.)

I was finding it harder and harder to get to sleep now I had a bed to myself, and I would often toss and turn until two or three in the morning before dozing off into a light sleep, only to wake up a couple of hours later and haul ass out of bed. I was still no closer to finding Loki or Anna, and seeing as no-one had tried to blow me up recently, I'd been contemplating finding Steve's room. However, he hadn't told me which room he'd taken up after leaving mine, and JARVIS refused to tell me its whereabouts without alerting Steve to my curiosity.

I hung my head again, feeling supremely sorry for myself. Bruce gave a long sigh. "You want me to help you with your research?"

I shook my head. Although I knew for a fact that Bruce was incapable of being killed by explosion or any other means, I had made an informal decision to push every one else away when I pushed Steve out. The research was my own. This feud with Loki was now personal. It wasn't a SHIELD case, it was now only mine.

Thanking Bruce for his company, I stood up, cleared away my bowl, and left for the Library, where I was considering setting up shack for the foreseeable future.

"Miss Reynolds?"

I rubbed a hand over my face and yawned, "Yes, JARVIS?"

"You have a visitor."

"Tell them to fuck off; I'm not at home to guests."

"Really?"

I don't remember ever moving as quickly as I did at that moment, whirling around to face Steve, who was standing there with his hand's thrust deep into the front pockets of his khaki pants. Other than slightly darker circles under his eyes, he (annoyingly) looked pretty much no worse for wear. I, on the other hand, had become a train wreck.

"Steve!"

He took a few steps towards me, "I hate it when you swear." he murmured softly, closing the gap between us and giving me about a foot of space.

"Yeah, well I hate it when you completely walk out on me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Um, I seem to remember _you_ being the one who said we needed to spend some time apart."

"Some being the optimal word." I snapped, leaning against the desk, feeling my eyes itch from lack of sleep. I was way too tired to argue with him.

"I thought you wanted me to be 'safe'?" He did the annoying air quotation marks that he knew bugged the hell out of me. Attractive Super Soldier or not, I was going to slam a fist into his nose if he didn't leave soon.

"Steve, I am way too tired, so unless you have a point then get out." I could hear my words slurring ever so slightly as they came out. His expression softened.

"When was the last time you slept?" he asked, stepping closer. I shrugged, and he sighed, chivalry taking over. Before I knew what he was doing, I was wrapped up in warm, strong arms, and being lifted, bridal style, into the air.

I didn't remember falling asleep, but when I opened my eyes next, I felt more refreshed than I had done in two weeks. I was lying on my bed, even though the last thing I remembered was snapping at Steve in the library.

I rolled over, and my hand crushed something that rustled. I sat up to inspect it. Two pieces of paper. The first was a note, in Steve's old-fashioned handwriting.

_You were fast asleep. I really hope you can find them Claire; I miss you so much. I miss being near you, and watching you cook, and falling asleep watching movies with you, and listening to your voice when you hear the news and get exited. I miss the way your eyes light up when something catches your interest. I miss your laugh. I miss you, Claire._

All my love,  
Steve. x

That was more than enough to take a girl's breath away. I clung on to the note, reading it and re-reading it until it was imprinted in my mind. Then I remembered the second piece of paper.

It was a drawing. Something that Steve had always kept private from me. Something he'd always been too shy to show me.

It was me. It was the picture I'd caught a glimpse of before. Obviously drawn during one of Fury's meetings, because my legs were outstretched on the desk in front of me, ankles crossed. My head was bent down over something, and there was a look of distraction on my face. In the background of the picture, there was another figure, someone that Steve had clearly spent far less time sketching. Judging by the beard, it was Tony.

I could have cried, or laughed, or screamed. This was something that happened to those girls in chick-flicks, right before they opened the bedroom door and tall-dark-and-handsome was stood there with a hundred red roses confessing undying love. This wasn't something that happened to an Avenger.

As I moved to put the drawing away in the top drawer of my bedside cabinet I noticed writing on the other side. It was Steve's.

_Claire, Fury's meeting, day eight._

I grinned and tucked it away, getting up with a totally different attitude to the one I'd had twenty four hours ago.

I was walking through one of Stark Tower's many corridors when I noticed something odd. JARVIS kept the temperature regulated to normal room temperature at all times under Tony's instruction, but right now I was shivering through my shirt. Something was up.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes, Miss Reynolds?"

"What's up with the heating?"

"The temperature of the building is at it's normal state, Miss Reynolds. The floor you are currently on is having some difficulties maintaining optimum temperature, however. Would you like me to contact Mr Stark?"

I shook my head, "No thanks."

Just as I said that, the over head lights began to flicker, and I instinctively raised Denearmul. I'd taken to bringing the sword with me almost wherever I went, as a precautionary measure. If Loki was trying to kill me, I was going to be prepared.

"No need for that, Shadow." I instantly recognized Loki's voice from behind me, and I whirled around to face him. He cocked his head, a smirk curling at his lips.

"Where's my sister?"

Loki shrugged, uninterested, "Not here." He gestured around, smiling pleasantly, " I see Mr Stark wasted no time in redecorating after our little..." He paused, looking me up and down, "Firework."

I swallowed and gripped Denearmul a little more tightly. He _had_ planted that bomb for me.

"And I have reason to believe that your relationship with Captain Rogers may be a little strained because of our display." His eyes glinted, and I felt anger bubble inside of me.

"What do you want?"

"Me? It is no longer a case of what _I _want, Claire. It is a case of what _Anna _wants."

"Oh, so you two shacked up, nice and cozy then?"

He ignored the comment. "We have been tracking a spear. Nicknamed the Spear of Destiny by many throughout the ages, it would put that sword of yours to shame." His eyes flashed as he glanced at Denearmul's curved blade.

"So where is this spear?" I asked, trying to keep him talking. Maybe if I could keep him occupied JARVIS would notice who it was and alert Tony.

Loki gave me a snake-like smile. "At the bottom of the ocean."

"I don't suppose you know where?"

"Oh, my dear Shadow, I know _exactly _where."

I motioned for him to continue, and he cocked his head, "To the north. Buried in a Submarine by one of your Midgardian 'heros' about fifty years ago."

I was about to ask him more when the alarm began blaring overhead, making us both wince. JARVIS' automated voice rang out through the Stark Tower.

"Intruder on floor seven, Mr Stark."

I rolled my eyes, looked back at the sport Loki had been, seconds before. The spot of air was empty, and I cursed myself. I should have jumped him when I'd had the chance.

"JARVIS?" I called over the alarm, "Shut it off; he's gone."

"The alarm faded as the door at one end of the corridor opened, and Steve, Tony, Thor and Clint burst through, spilling out into the corridor, all wearing the same look of confusion.

"JARVIS, that's Claire." Tony snapped, rolling his eyes.

"Loki was here." I told him, walking over to the four of them. Tony and Thor's eyes widened, and Clint gave a low whistle. Steve just watched me carefully.

"I know what he wants, and I'm pretty sure I know where he's headed." I said, looking to each of them in turn, my gaze lingering on Steve's face for a few seconds longer.

"Where?"

I suppressed a grin, "Canada."

* * *

"Pender Island." I said finally. After almost twelve hours of research with Bruce and Tony, I was pretty sure I'd found the spot Loki headed.

Bruce looked up from his notes, and Tony wandered over, holding a coffee mug in one hand. "You sure?"

"The boat, the submarine that Loki and Anna were looking for? It was the Faithful. A submarine holding a hundred American and Canadian soldiers during the very start of the Vietnam War. Loki said it was about fifty years ago which gets us to the 1960's. Exactly 50 years ago was 1963." I looked up at Tony, who was nodding along. "Faithful crashed in 1964."

"Any crew survive?"

"One. The captain. He got out as soon as he found out about the damage, leaving his crew to die. And get this," I jabbed a finger at the screen, grinning, "Look what he said caused the damage that sank the ship."

"The cargo." Tony's features stretched into a grin that matched mine. "So that's what we're looking for?"

"I'm almost a hundred percent sure." I said.

"If you are, then we should probably take this to Fury." Bruce said softly from behind us.


	17. Chapter 17

"So you expect me to let you run off to some Canadian Island, on your own, with barely any weapons, knowledge of the area, the artifact you're looking for, or even if it's still there, against Loki and your sister, not to mention all the men they'll have working for them?" Fury stared at me from across the table. We were in the meeting room at SHIELD, and Tony and I were trying to sell our pitch to Fury. Steve, Clint, Bruce, Natasha, Thor, and a handful of other agents were watching silently.

"She won't be alone." Tony pressed, "I'll be on her audio the whole time."

"Great, a mission ran by Tony Stark. That's a surefire way to get her killed." Fury snapped back. Tony recoiled, hurt.

"Fury, I can take care of myself. I _do_ know what I'm looking for, and I've taken out Loki's men before." I begged, hearing the whine in my own voice.

A long silence fell in the room, with Fury's brow furrowing and straightening like it usually did when he was trying not to beat the ever living hell out of Tony. Finally, he gave a resigned sigh.

"I'll order a chopper for you, Agent Reynolds. Be ready at 23:00 hours for take-off to Pender Island." He glared from me to Tony. If you're wrong about this, I'm putting you both in traction.

We thanked him and walked out. I had some serious packing to do.

"Claire," Tony pulled me aside, a smile hinting at his lips. "There's something in my workstation here that I want to show you. You'll need it for this little trek."

* * *

"How does it fit?" Tony called.

"It's a little tight," I admitted, zipping up the undershirt, which was more like a black leather vest, fitted almost perfectly to the curve of my waist. The leather pants were thick, and slightly padded on the knees and on the inner thighs, 'just in case of motorcycles', according to Tony.  
The over jacket was also made of leather, and the elbows of it were padded too. As I put it on, I realized the only problem with it was the size. It fit perfectly everywhere but across my chest. I sighed and tried to force the zip, but it wouldn't go any further than just below my bust. When I got back, Tony and I were going to have to discuss my measurements. I checked that the biker boots were completely done up before stepping out. of the small changing cubicle. Tony looked me up and down appreciatively, nodding his head.

"It should be good down to sub-zero temperatures, and it should be waterproof too. I modified your holsters, including Denearmul's." Tony handed me my gun holsters, ,which wrapped around my thighs and my hips. I did up the buckles and slid my SHIELD issue black pistols into them, nodding to Tony to give me my next article.

He handed me a black, hard cased rucksack. "Waterproof, for sure. I've put a spare set of Winter Clothes in there for you, just in case you get too cold. There's a Winter Jacket in there and a pair of thicker pants, which Pepper went out and got from the Wardrobe when I told her about this."

I slid the rucksack over my shoulders and nodded, taking everything in.

"Okay, here's the sheath thing for the sword..." He slid the Sheath over my shoulders, and I slipped Denearmul into it pretty easily. I preferred my side-sheath, but that would get in the way. This meant that Denearmul would sit below my rucksack, and actually meant that my weight was distributed evenly.

"Now," Tony grinned at me, "Here's the fun part. Your aqualungs."

"They don't have missiles on them do they?" I asked apprehensively, and he frowned.

" strap to your arms. One on each." He began to put them on my upper arms, tightening them and making me wince. "The mouth piece and you goggles come up around the back, they're on top of the rucksack right now. You've just got to flip them over your head, and you're done.

I nodded, taking in everything he'd said, inhaling deeply. "Thanks Tony."

He smiled sadly and brought me in for a hug, which was awkward owing to all my baggage. "Take care of yourself kiddo, and remember I'm going to be on this earpiece the whole time." He handed me the small bud, which I placed in my ear.

"Thanks, Tony." I gently punched his shoulder and gave him a fleeting grin before walking out of the room and into the hallway. Last I'd seen of him, Steve had been headed for SHIELD's gym.

* * *

He was pummeling a punching bag, dancing around it on his toes when I walked in. His face was screwed up in concentration, sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Ninety years old," I stepped further into the room, and he stopped, turning to face me, "And you still can't do your own bandages." I pointed to the wrap around his knuckles with was coming undone. He frowned slightly.

"What am I going to do with you?" I teased quietly, stepping right up to him and starting to unwrap the cloth.

"You're going then?"

I nodded, concentrating on his hand. I heard him exhale.

"Thank you for the picture."

His hand stiffened in mine, and I looked up at him. His blue eyes were unreadable, and slightly covered by bits of blonde hair flopping over them. My fingers itched to brush it back, but I began re-winding the bandage.

"I'm glad you liked it."

A smiled crossed my lips, and I tightened the bandage. "I was starting to think you'd never let me see them." I admitted, and he chucked.

"Claire," he began, and I looked up at him. He opened his mouth to continue, when someone interrupted us.

"Uh, Agent Reynolds?"

I looked across the gym to see a young Agent, hovering by the door. "They want you on the copper pad."

"I'll be there in a minute." The head retracted from the doorway, and I turned back to Steve. "I guess that's me."

"Don't get yourself killed, okay?" he brushed a hand behind my ear, stroking down to my neck, and I stood on my toes to kiss his cheek.

"I promise I won't." I whispered in his ear, before dropping down to my normal height and giving his bandaged hand a quick squeeze.

* * *

"We can't land on the island, Fury's orders." The Agent who'd interrupted me and Steve called. "So you're going to have to drop out into the water, and call us again when you want us to pick you up."

I gave him a thumbs up to let him know that I understood, and waited while he received and checked the coordinates of the Faithful's supposed resting place.

"Okay!" he nodded to me, giving me another thumbs up. I slid my goggles over my eyes and put my mouthpiece in, standing at the edge of the chopper platform.

"You alright?" he called, and, instead of answering, I pushed myself forwards ad off the chopper. I felt my stomach do flips as I fell through the air, plummeting at an unhealthy speed to the water, which I hit with a resounding splash, cutting straight through it and continuing to descend. When I'd finally slowed, I adjusted the waterproof flashlight on the strap of my rucksack.

"Alrighty then." I heard Tony's voice come to life on the earpiece. "Claire, I'm here with Clint, Thor and Steve. Your flashlight has a built in waterproof camera, so we've got a visual."

I began to swim downwards, my torch beam guiding the way through the murky depths. My leather suit was working pretty well to keep the cold water out, but my hands and face, which were uncovered, stang with the cold.

"What's that?" Clint asked, after about five minutes of swimming. I stopped, scanning the water.

"I don't see anything, where was it?"

I had to agree with Tony - the water wasn't producing anything.

"No no, there, to the left a little. Yeah, yeah that's it! Claire, swim straight ahead." Clint ordered. I did as I was told, keeping my eyes out for wreckage. Slowly, I began to pick up on some things. Occasional lumps of metal were littered around the seabed.

"Claire, swing your flashlight beam up? I want to see what's in front of you."

I did as I was told and froze. It was murky, dark, and hard to make out, but I could see the outline of the Faithful up ahead.


	18. Chapter 18

The metal was old and rusting, but it was definitely the submarine I was looking for. I swam around the base of the sub, looking for an entrance.

"Claire, look to your right and down a little." Steve ordered, and I did as I was told, seeing a small hole in the side, just big enough for me to fit through. I swam towards it, and peered through the water as I entered the ship. Swimming up and forwards, I got closer to the surface of the water. When the sub had crashed it obviously had trapped air inside it. It wasn't long before I breached the surface of the water, and could begin wading across the floor.

"Fun?" Tony asked as I took my mouthpiece out.

"So far," I chucked, swinging my body around so the torch beam moved.

"Okay..." Tony clicked his tongue, "So far, the most direct route would probably be up ahead and to your left. That's where the cargo hold will be. However, judging by these blueprints, there's going to be a special alcove where the spear is gonna be."

"Do you think they knew what they were dealing with?" I asked, moving up the corridor.

"Doubtful, yep, that's it, take this left."

I did as I was told and came to a smaller corridor.

"Second door on your right."

The door was slightly ajar, but decades of sea salt and decay had made it stiff and hard to move. I struggled with it for a few minutes before it shifted, scraping along the floor with an agonizing sound.

"Sweet Jesus," Clint groaned.

"Sorry," I stepped into the cargo hold. It was a mess - almost completely destructed.

"Where the hell is this alcove, anyway?" I asked, stepping over what I really hoped wasn't a body.

"Okay, keep walking... Take a right... And stop."

I halted, looking around. "Tony, this isn't an alcove."

"Oh, did I forget to mention? The alcove is underneath you."

I rolled my eyes and dropped to my knees, trying to find a crack in the grating, or a handle, or hinges - anything that would indicate a door. Finally, I found it, and dug my fingers into it, groaning as I lifted it up.

"You know what?" I grunted, raising it a couple of inches, "Next time, I'm just going to let Loki take over the world - maybe I'll even help him."

Tony laughed, and I gave one last un-ladylike grunt as I swung the door open. Remarkably, what I found wasn't a scene of destruction and horror like the rest of the dank ship. Almost completely untouched, in an open wooden crate, laying on a bed of straw, was a Spearhead.

"Well shit." Clint whispered. I reached down and plucked it from the crate, examining it. I barely had time to look at it, however, before I heard the click of a gun. I turned, knowing exactly what I would find.

"Well thank you, sister dear, for finding the spear for me." Anna, dripping from head to toe, snatched the spearhead from my grasp. "It would have been so much trouble to track it down myself."

I glared at her, "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, Anna. Loki's a bad guy. He doesn't want to use this spear for good."

"Fits with my plans perfectly." She smirked at me, allowing me to scramble to my feet.

"Give it back, Anna." I ordered, "You have no idea what it can do."

"Oh Claire," she cocked her head, "Let's not fight."

"No, let's." I snapped, spin-kicking the gun from her hand and sending a fist into her gut. She cried out and dropped the spear, which rolled away across the floor.

Regaining her composure very quickly, she sent a booted foot into my stomach, and a fist into my windpipe, sending me flying, and knocking the breath out of me.

She tutted me, grabbing the spear from the floor and dashing off around the corner and out of sight. I sat there, struggling to breathe while she got away.

She was getting away.

I was letting her get away.

"Claire." Steve warned as I got to my feet and stumbled after her down the corridor, "Don't you dare."

"Claire this is a really dumb idea." Tony called. Clint yelled something not totally comprehendible and, ignoring them all, I put my mouthpiece back in, bracing myself for the water again.

She was about ten feet ahead of me. I could just make out her legs kicking away.

"Claire, don't even think about going after her." Tony snapped.

"Agent Reynolds, I'm ordering you to stop following her."

I continued to swim. I was faster than her, more athletic – I always had been. I was catching up quickly, closing in the gap. I was so close.

She stopped swimming, and through the haze, I saw her turn. What was that? She was lifting a gun.

I tried to turn, to swim away, but I wasn't fast enough. The bullet punctured the side of my right oxygen tank, and I watched as the bubbles cascaded from the hole.

"What the hell was that? JARVIS, update."

"Miss Reynolds' left oxygen tank has been ruptured. She is now breathing using only the left tank."

I kicked my legs and began swimming again. There was no way in hell I was going to drown here. I swam up, kicking towards the surface as quickly as I could. As I swam I became aware that the temperature was dropping. I was steadily getting colder.

"Miss Reynolds' oxygen levels are at 10%."

I could just see the moonlight on the surface.

"Miss Reynolds' oxygen levels are at 5%."

I was so close.

"Miss Reynolds is breathing manually."

"Shut up!" I heard a chorus of men scream.

The shock of suddenly having no air to breath made me stop suddenly. My lungs began to ache; I hadn't taken a big enough gulp of oxygen.

I kicked my legs and began swimming again, desperately clawing my way through the water to get to the surface.

I breached the surface of the water with a gasp, almost screaming from the burning in my lungs.

"Claire?"

"Claire, are you okay?"

"Midgardian?"

I choked back tears and bobbed in the water, still gasping for air. After a couple of minutes, my breathing returned to normal.

"Claire?"

"I'm… Fine…" I managed to splutter, feeling my teeth begin to chatter. "I'm s-oo… c-cold tho-ough."

"I thought you said the suit would protect her?!" Steve bellowed, and I heard Tony trying to explain himself.

"Experiment… Completely hypothetical… Steve I…"

I heard crashing and a yelp from Tony.

"Claire, you've got to get to shore so you can wait for the chopper." Clint told me, the voice of reason amid chaos.

I began moving, but I was so cold that my limbs would barely cooperate. Clint talked me through it the whole time soothingly, and in the background, I could hear Fury trying to stop Steve from killing Tony.

"Rogers, take a time out." Fury ordered. A door slammed.

"Your boyfriend just tried to break SHIELD." Clint laughed, and I heard Thor start to question Tony, more calmly, about why the suit wasn't working. Right now, I didn't care. Right now, I just wanted to be warm.

I waded up the shoreline onto dry ground and collapsed, ripping off gun holsters and rucksacks, reaching into my bag from the warm clothes.

"Clare, before you get changed, I'd roll the bag over. We can see you." Clint offered, and I did, pushing it over so I couldn't see the flashlight, before reaching for my zipper.

I was shaking so violently that I had trouble pulling the zipper, but after a few moments of struggling, I did it. It took me about five minutes to get changed, but when I was dry, I could talk properly.

"You good?" Clint asked as I rolled the bag back over, so I was facing the flashlight.

"Yeah, better now."

"Hey, make sure you don't leave that suit behind. I'm going to modify it when you get back." Tony told me, and I stuffed the black items back in the bag.

"JARVIS?" I called, "Where's Anna?"

"Your sister is a little further inland, Miss Reynolds, in a cave on the side of the rocks, in the clearing."

I stood up, shouldering my pack. "Fury, I came all the way to this island. I'm not letting them leave with that spear."

There was a long, audible sigh, but Fury agreed with me, and I set off into the woods.


	19. Chapter 19

"Agent Reynolds, the choppers are standing by for take-off. You've got half an hour until they get there." I heard Fury's voice over the earpiece.

"Great."

"Okay, I think that cave is the one they're in." Tony said as I reached the clearing in the center of the Island. There was a steep rocky cliff, and a cave in the center of it, the entrance covered with snow. I began to walk towards it, snow crunching under my boots.

"Be careful." Thor murmured.

The rock face was jagged and steep, and my feet slipped around as I tried to scramble up. After a few minutes of grunting, however, I managed to swing my arm over the side of the rock and shimmy up to the entrance of the cave. I couldn't see Loki or Anna, however, and clambered to my feet, unsheathing Denearmul.

"Ah, the illustrious Shadow allows us to bask in her presence again." I turned to see Loki, standing a few feet away by the ledge. He was holding a sword very similar to Denearmul, but far less intricately designed.

"Loki." I inclined my head.

"Don't you think it would be best if we stepped inside? The wind out here really is biting." Loki smiled pleasantly, motioning towards the cave. keeping my eyes on him, I back within the walls, holding Denearmul tightly.

"Where's the spear?" I asked.

"With your sister," Loki glanced behind me, and I turned to see Anna. Her hair was dripping, but just starting to dry, curling around her face. Over the past few months I'd begun to have fleeting memories of my past, but in all of the memories, Anna looked nothing like this. The girl standing in front of me now, holding the spearhead aloft like a mad woman, was no relation of mine. She just looked a hell of a lot like my sister.

"Good to see you again."

"Mmh, even after you shot at my oxygen tank." I snapped back.

She shrugged, "Nothing personal, you'v got to understand. It was all for this, and you were in the way. I've got to say, Claire. You really did help us out."

"Oh yeah, and how's that?"

"Well, I was counting on you to find the Submarine, and get me the spear. All I had to do was follow you right to the crate, and take it from you. Loki promised me it would be a lot harder, but I guess he overestimated your intelligence." She smirked, and as she did, the realization hit me.

She wasn't my sister. She hadn't been for some time; probably since the crash. Losing her entire family like that, displaced and alone. Then a mysterious, attractive, silk-tongued man had come to her, offering her a new life. One where she was on top. Where she had all the playing cards, and she could keep them as close to her chest as she liked.

Steve was wrong; Loki wasn't using any mind control over Anna. She'd bought into this willingly. She wanted all this. She wanted the power and the control.

She watched me carefully, waiting for me to make my move.

"I don't know who the hell you are," I said, struggling to keep my voice even, with the anger that was bubbling up inside me, "But you really aren't my sister. My sister died in a car crash a year ago, along with her parents and her sister."

A line appeared between her eyebrows.

"You aren't my sister."

I swung Denearmul down as hard as I could, focusing all my energy and emotions into it. Green energy exploded from it as soon as the tip touched the rocky ground, and Anna and Loki were both flung into the air. The spear flew out of her grasp, an I reached out, catching it just before it hit the ground.

Anna managed to crawl over to Loki, who was at the entrance to the cave. They both watched me as they clambered to their feet.

"Claire, don't you dare." Anna warned, as I held the spearhead delicately between finger and thumb, daring her to come any closer.

"You have no idea how powerful that spear is," Loki said earnestly, "It could kill you."

"You two were happy to take that risk."

"I know how to use it." he spat.

"Give it back!" Anna screamed, taking a step forward. Loki swung an arm around her waist, much the way Steve did with me. I was surprised for a second, looking from one face to the other. Anna was fighting with Loki, clawing at the air to try and get to me, but effortlessly, he had a tight grip on her, his eyes trained on my face.

His gaze was completely unreadable. Was that compassion? I couldn't quite work it out.

He mouthed something to me. Two words.

_Do it._

I gulped, opening my mouth to say something, but he shook his head, pullng Anna up so she was close to him.

"Stop fighting." He ordered, "It's not worth it."

"Everything we've done!" she screeched, "Everything we worked for over the last six months, and you're going to let her walk away with it? I - I _want that spear Loki_!"

"You want it?" I called, drawing her attention back to me, "Go get it."

I let the spearhead drop from between my fingers, and fall to the floor. The second the point hit the ground, it cracked the rock, sending all three of us flying again. I crashed across the stony floor, pain exploding up my shoulder. Screaming out in pain, I looked back up to where Loki and Anna had been standing just in time to see them disappear.

"Claire, get your ass out of there. That cave isn't going to hold." Tony ordered. I snatched up Denearmul with my left hand and scrambled to my feet, stumbling out of the cave to the rocky ledge.

"Get back into the clearing!" Tony yelled, as another reverberation from the spear sent me flying from the ledge, rolling into the snow in blinding white searing agony.

I didn't pass out though. I made sure I kept consciousness, gripping Denearmul with my left hand, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my right.

I don't know how long I was lying in the snow for, but after a while, I heard the blades of a chopper. The lights swung over head, and I waved desperately with Denearmul, trying to catch their attention.

Within ten minutes I was being ushered onto the Chopper by Agents, being sat down and questioned. I told one of them about my shoulder, and they examined it, before coming to the conclusion it was dislocated.

"We're going to have to pop it back in." They explained, and I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut and bracing myself for the pain to hit me again.


	20. Chapter 20

The landing pad on Stark Tower was a friendly, welcoming sight. The red and gold lights that led the way reminded me of just how much I wanted to sleep.

As we landed, I was helped off the chopper by two agents, carrying Denearmul in my left hand, my right wrapped in a sling.

"Daughter of Rain!" Thor boomed, jogging out across the rooftop. He faltered when he saw my arm. "You are hurt?"

"I'll live." I smiled and handed him Denearmul, "Can you take this?"

He accepted the sword and beamed at me, clapping me on the back and making me stumble slightly.

"I will place it in you room." He assured me, running off to go put it away.

Fury opened the door to the roof, his arms linked behind his back. "They told me you didn't die."

"They were right about that." I grinned, and he nodded to me. "I want you to have a check up with Doctor Banner before you go to bed."

I nodded, walking past him to the door.

"And Claire." I turned to looked at him. "That spear?"

"Better lost than found, I think." I said with a smile.

"And Anna?"

"With Loki. They got out before I blew up the cave."

"There are few people who've been waiting for you to get back." He nodded to something behind me, and I turned to follow his gaze.

I'm pretty sure that Tony and Clint were standing behind him, but the only person I really noticed was Steve. Grinning sheepishly, I almost ran to him, wrapping my good arm around his neck and pulling him down for the kiss I so richly deserved.

**That's it - finito! I will be posting a sequel Out of The Shadows, at some point after I get back from the holiday (expect it on the twentieth.) And in the mean time, I'm going to post a one-shot about Anna and Loki. Thank you for the support guys! xo**


	21. Author Note about OneShot

Hey there!

I've added a new story to the website, called Hold Me Tight Through Tonight. It's a Loki/Anna oneshot, showing how they met, and going into the very start of their relationship. I really hope you all enjoy!

I'm going on holiday and won't be back for a week, but when I get back I'll start the sequel to Into The Shadows, which I want to make more about Claire's relationship with the other Avengers (especially Steve) and Anna and Loki. I hope y'all enjoy, and I'll see you in a week! :)

Bridget x


	22. Sequel to Into The Shadows

Hey guys, just a quick note to say that the Sequel to Into The Shadows is now up! It's called Out of the Shadows. The first chapter has just been posted, so look out for the next chapter tomorrow!


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